Faith

Photo courtesy of hspieces.com

What can a grilled cheese sandwich do for you?

Fill you up? Make you happy? Keep you satisfied for a few hours?

What can a grilled cheese sandwich do for a child in India who goes to bed hungry?

Before 2004, that grilled cheese sandwich would have done nothing for that child. Now, thanks to FeelGood, an organization that fights hunger, you can help people all over the world have a meal to eat. It’s as simple as buying a grilled cheese sandwich on certain college campuses.

Begun by siblings Kristin and Jason Walter, FeelGood is committed to ending world hunger in our lifetime.

The organization, created on the University of Texas at Austin campus, has a simple concept – offer students grilled cheese sandwiches in exchange for a donation and give those donations to organizations with a proven track record of eradicating global hunger.

According to a World Food Programme webpage, hunger, the world’s foremost health risk, kills more people every year than AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined.

One in four children, living in developing countries, is underweight.

Tonight, one in seven people in the world will go hungry.

The population of hungry people in this world, those who either do not take in enough calories to have an active life or do not eat nutritional foods, exceeds the combined populations of the United States, Canada and the European Union.

There is no food shortage in the world.

According to the UN, there is enough food in the world today for everyone to have the nourishment necessary for a healthy and productive life.

FeelGood’s goal is not easy to complete.

Consider what the organization faces:

·         persuading people to donate food products for free.

·         deciding which organizations to donate 100 percent of its proceeds to.

·         making sure a student who’s late for class and needs a quick, cheap bite to eat actually donates money to the cause.

·         sparking an interest in college students, who spend endless hours in the library, working to maintain a stellar grade point average, so they become involved and dedicated to the cause.

Faith in the human race – that’s how.

The Walters believe people are willing to donate time and products so the organization can feed people in other states and countries.

And those donors have followed through for FeelGood.

Local farmers donate the artisan breads, gourmet cheeses and produce to make the grilled cheese sandwiches.

FeelGood-certified organization, to receive portions of the profits, need to meet certain requirements:

·         mobilize grassroots leadership.

·         effectively address the deeply entrenched social condition of gender equality.

·         forge partnerships with local government and organizations.

·         have a proven track record of cost-effective models for unleashing self reliance.

·         embrace environmentally sustainable practices.

 FeelGood currently works with The Hunger Project and CHOICE Humanitarian.

The organization asks students to donate what they think feels good instead of putting a price on eradicating hunger.

             Think about all the Walter siblings had to do to get this organization off the ground.

Their accomplishments speak of their success.

                In 2005, FeelGood became a non-profit organization, and since then has raised more than $1,280,000 and has established delis on 24 different campuses – all committed to making and selling simple grilled cheese sandwiches.

But FeelGood’s aid doesn’t only assist those in other countries. Nor does the organization only work on combating hunger.

                Consider the end of FeelGood’s mission statement - in our lifetime. Those in the generation who created FeelGood, want to complete their own goal, not let others accomplish it for them. To ensure this, FeelGood founded the Changemaker Academy in 2009.

                The academy has empowered 1,500 students to discover what it means to be a global citizen, to learn the values and skills of social entrepreneurship and to acquire a deep understanding of the systemic causes of global hunger and poverty.

                How cool is that? Working to end hunger and generate socially responsible citizens simultaneously.

                This organization is a constant reminder that people of all ages have the ability to do something meaningful.

So the next time you hear the older generation complaining about the younger generations’ lack of motivation, maturity or responsibility, remind them of organizations like FeelGood. Not only started by college students, but still successfully run by college students. And now, teaching others how to be change makers.

Now how can someone say the world is going to the dogs?

                Faith. Have some.

Would you have ever thought a little grilled cheese-making business could make a dent in the global hunger crisis?

Would you have ever thought people could actually take time out of their busy lives to do something for a hungry child in India?

FeelGood did. It took an idea and applied some faith in the human race. And look what’s been accomplished. You never know what a simple concept and a tremendous amount faith might produce. But if you give it a chance and have faith, you might produce some positive change.