Anthology

by DAVID MOYE

(Oct. 13) — Teenagers have a reputation for being self-involved, but some teens in San Diego have discovered they have a deep hunger to help the less fortunate.

And they’re doing it by running their own food pantry.

The Hand Up Youth Food Pantry in San Diego — which is run by a core group of 40 teens — teaches kids business basics by allowing them to run their own food pantry.
For the past four years, the Hand Up Youth Food Pantry has supplied thousands of San Diegans with food and other necessities — and it’s all run by teenagers, under the umbrella of Jewish Family Services of San Diego.

So, yes, while there are some adult volunteers, the bulk of the planning, food gathering, organizing and distribution is done by a core group of 40 teenagers.

In the process, the teen volunteers are learning a lot about themselves and running a business, according to Brad Tradonsky, 18, who has been a part of Hand Up since the beginning.
“When I first started, it was mainly because my friends were all doing it and because I needed to fulfill a community service requirement at my school,” Tradonsky told AOL News. “But I’ve really enjoyed it, and it has opened my eyes.

“For me, the biggest thing I realized is that the people coming for food don’t fit the stereotypical view of a homeless guy with a cardboard sign.”

That’s been a revelation for fellow volunteer Sara Linssen, 17, who was surprised that some of the biggest demand for foods and services come from local military bases.

“I think I was knowledgeable about hunger beforehand,” she said. “But I was surprised at the large number of military families who are willing to wait in line for hours for food.”

Besides being run by teenagers, Hand Up is a little different than other food banks. For instance, many times, the volunteers set up the distribution sites to be like grocery stores so that the recipients feel more like they’re getting a “hand up,” not a “hand out,” hence the name.

In addition, folks who attend the distribution sites get free child care while they shop from the kids.
But Tradonsky says he feels like he’s the one getting the most out of it.

“I’m blown away by how thankful the people are,” Tradonsky said. “I guess they’re not expecting it to be as dignified as it is. It’s not like a soup kitchen. We play with the kids and help carry the groceries out to the car.”

Tradonsky says the volunteering has changed his life in ways he never expected.

“I’ve found I enjoy giving the food and the organizational involvement, but also the business skills, such as public speaking, the independence and the responsibility. In fact, Hand Up is the reason I’ve decided to major in business.

“Doing this made me realize that if you do a business right, everyone benefits.”

Hand Up was the brainchild of business owner Marsha Berkson, who wanted a project that would help teenagers like her two sons “see the world beyond their own life.”

“Teenagers can be me-centric, and I wanted there to be a lot of different components to keep them interested,” she told AOL News.

The social action is part of the strategy, but Berkson also wanted the young volunteers to understand how to run a business, including marketing and organization, and also leadership skills such as public speaking.

It has paid off big.

What once was a program at a small school has now expanded to 10 other schools, with plans for more.

But more important to Shana Hazan, who oversees the pantry as part of her duties as the youth leadership developer coordinator, is how the program has expanded the confidence of the teen participants.

“I know one girl, who, at first, was very shy and had a good heart,” Hazan said. “I questioned her leadership ability, but she really stepped up. She’s expanded the membership at her school, and she’s an integral part of Hand Up.”

Although volunteers such as Tradonsky and Linssen leave Hand Up when they go off to college, Linssen says she is now dedicating her life to nonprofit work — and that could include helping to expand Hand Up to other areas.

“I’d like to see more student involvement and see the kids really take care of the details, and take it into other schools,” she said. “I’d also like to see them giving presentations talking about local hunger.”
It’s a subject that she didn’t realize was very personal until after she started volunteering.

“My mom was talking to a woman she knows about Hand Up, and the woman got a funny look in her eye,” Linssen said. “She said, ‘I get food from them.’ The woman had just been through a tough divorce, and it opened my eyes about hunger, because you don’t expect someone who gives you presents on your birthday to need this.”

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Via gnn.com