Young changemakers from across the United States will soon travel to the
company's global headquarters for a day of recognition and
celebration
AUSTIN,
Minn., July 30, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Hormel Foods
Corporation (NYSE: HRL), a Fortune 500 global branded food company,
is proud to announce its third cohort of 10 Under 20 Food Heroes.
Each of these remarkable young people, through their various
charitable endeavors, has set out to make the world a better place
by working to bring about a more transparent, secure and
sustainable food system.
"Our 10 Under 20 Food Heroes continue to inspire us," said
Jeff Baker, group vice president of
Retail Marketing at Hormel Foods. "These young people aren't
waiting for a better world to appear on its own. They're out there
making it happen, and we are amazed at what they've already
accomplished at such young ages. Their work has already had an
impact on their local communities and the world at large, and it is
our sincere honor to recognize their efforts to bring about
positive and meaningful change."
To recognize and celebrate these young changemakers, Hormel
Foods will soon be hosting the group at its global headquarters in
Austin, Minnesota. During their
visit, honorees will have an opportunity to connect with and learn
from Hormel Foods leaders and discuss opportunities to further
scale the impact of their respective projects. In addition, the
company will provide all 10 Under 20 Food Heroes with a financial
grant to support their initiatives.
"It's one of our favorite days of the year," Baker said.
"Meeting the Food Heroes and hearing more about their projects, and
their personal stories, it's always such an enlightening and
inspiring experience for our entire team here at Hormel Foods. We
are thrilled to be hosting yet another class of Food Heroes as we
honor their incredible accomplishments."
Introducing, the 2024 class of 10 Under 20 Food Heroes:
Aakash Suresh, 18 years old,
Miami, Florida
- Aakash serves as the vice chair and head of relations for the
Junior Advisory Board of Joshua's Heart Foundation, a Miami-based nonprofit dedicated to ending
world hunger, founded by 2020 Food Hero, Joshua Williams. Aakash has been pivotal in
organizing food distributions that have provided over 5 million
meals to families in need. He also extends his humanitarian efforts
internationally in India, helping
establish a development school for children with physical and
cognitive challenges, demonstrating his commitment to global
community service.
Bella Eberhart, 12 years old,
Wellington, Florida
- Bella has been giving back to her community since her first
birthday, through "Parties with a Purpose," annual birthday
celebrations benefitting local nonprofits. Over time, she took the
lead on this now-annual tradition and expanded it to include her
siblings and other holidays. Last year, Bella coordinated the first
student-run community service club at her middle school, organizing
a series of successful "serve together" opportunities. She led
various initiatives including a school-based food drive, sorting
non-perishable items at Palm Beach County Food Bank, gleaning fresh
produce at a local farm with CROS Ministries, cooking for families
at Quantum House and a food distribution day with Restoration
Bridge International. Bella is currently in the process of founding
"B3 Powerful," a nonprofit that will connect youth and families
with service opportunities in their communities.
Colin Chu, 16 years old,
Palo Alto, California
- Inspired by seeing nutritious meals being discarded at his
school, Colin founded Homeless Heroes, a youth-led nonprofit
organization dedicated to raising awareness about homelessness,
increasing food sustainability and fostering an interconnected
community. Colin strives to empower youth to engage in service
work, inspiring the next generation to make a positive impact
through meal packaging, food delivery and direct interaction with
the unhoused. To date, the team at Homeless Heroes donates over
7,000 meals monthly to shelters and schools nationwide, has
delivered over 135,000 meals and has reached more than 3,500
unhoused individuals.
Elaina Johnson, 10 years old,
Broomfield, Colorado
- Elaina embodies compassion and generosity through dedicated
efforts to combat hunger. The youngest winner in this year's Food
Heroes class, Elaina teamed up with her grandmother to source and
distribute food to those in need, starting with the unhoused in her
hometown of Denver. Then, as the
city recently began receiving 50 new refugees daily, Elaina
organized an effort at her school to raise money and supplies in
support of these newcomers. She spends her own allowance on
essential supplies for newly arrived refugees.
Emma Falkenmeyer, 18 years
old, Sherrill, New York
- Emma established School Lunch Pals in 2023 to collect funds to
eliminate student lunch debt at her high school, ensuring that no
parent or student is made to shoulder this financial burden alone.
Now, with her local district qualifying for the universal student
breakfast and lunch program Community Eligibility Provision (CEP),
Emma's organization provides funds for students who previously
qualified for free or reduced lunch to buy additional items not
covered by CEP. Emma was recently honored with a Certificate of
Merit from the New York State
Assembly for her impactful work.
Lauren Schroeder, 18 years
old, Dixon, Iowa
- While volunteering at a food shelter during the COVID-19
pandemic at age 14, Lauren noticed the lack of fresh vegetables in
the donated groceries. A farm girl at heart, Lauren decided to
address this gap with her own two hands, planting a half-acre of
her family's farm with 15 different varieties of vegetables. In the
past two years alone, she has donated over 7,000 pounds of
homegrown produce to charitable causes. Lauren is aiming to bring
that total to 20,000 pounds by the time she starts college in the
fall of 2025.
Natalie Deitz, 13 years old,
Abingdon, Maryland
- After having to overcome food anxiety due to a birth defect and
attending a six-week inpatient feeding clinic, Natalie has since
developed a passion for helping critically ill children. As a
member of the all-youth board of advisors for We Cancerve, a
nonprofit organization founded by 2020 Food Hero Grace Callwood,
Natalie is committed to helping kids who are fighting difficult
situations, like she had to. Natalie has prepared and delivered
supplemental food kits for 100 youth in her local school system.
She also led a craft project for pediatric oncology patients with
the Cool Kids Campaign, delivered toys to pediatric patients and
organized a shopping spree for homeless children.
Samantha Sandhaus, 18 years
old, Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania
- Samantha is committed to ensuring better nutritional access for
all. A recent high school graduate from Central High School, she
founded Feeding Philly as a sophomore. Led by students, this
nationally recognized nonprofit organization serves 2,000 families
in North Philadelphia, engages
over 4,500 student volunteers regionally and repurposes more than
2,500 pounds of food. Under her leadership, Feeding Philly has
significantly expanded, leveraging mutual aid programs and
educational workshops to combat food waste and food insecurity
within Philadelphia's schools and
communities.
Skai and Will Nzeuton, 18 and 16 years old, New York City, New
York
- Skai started the Food Security Club at Stuyvesant High School
after witnessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. He has since
expanded the impact of this club alongside his brother, Will.
Together, their efforts led to an entirely new organization, Food
for All NYC, which works to redistribute fresh foods from schools,
grocery stores and delis to those in need across New York City. To date, Food for All NYC has
rescued over 10,000 pounds of food, equating to 20,000 food items.
The organization also has an app that connects local organizations
to streamline food rescue operations.
Steven Hoffen, 16 years old,
New York City, New York
- Steven's mission to educate, empower and help those in need
through the power of hydroponics resulted in the founding of his
nonprofit, Growing Peace Inc., which helps marginalized communities
gain access to healthy produce through hydroponic gardening. He
witnessed this firsthand during a visit to Israel, where Arab and Jewish women
collaborated on hydroponic gardening. Steven showcased the
meaningful efforts of these women in his award-winning documentary
film, "Growing Peace in the Middle
East," which highlights the healing power of food, even in
the face of cultural differences. Growing Peace has installed
numerous hydroponic gardening systems in communities in need to
help alleviate food insecurity in his local area, including the
Edgecombe Residential Treatment Facility and the Mosholu Montefiore
Community Center.
The 10 Under 20 Food Hero Ambassador is another recognition
dedicated to an established organization or person(s) making a
significant positive impact addressing food insecurity. Ambassadors
serve as an inspiration and mentor to our Food Heroes.
Meet our 10 Under 20 Food Hero Ambassadors:
Shreyaa and Esha Venkat, 21
and 18 years old, Virginia
- Shreyaa and Esha are the founders of NEST4US, a 501(c)3
nonprofit dedicated to making the world a better place through
kindness. NEST4US mobilizes volunteers worldwide to advance
progress on societal issues and spark equitable solutions. Inspired
by their childhood volunteer experiences with their family, Shreyaa
and Esha started NEST4US to connect others with volunteer
opportunities locally and globally. Under their leadership, NEST4US
has mobilized over 7,500 volunteers, impacting communities in over
30 countries across six continents. Through one of their five
programs, NEST Nurtures, they tackle global hunger, poverty and
food waste through feeding initiatives, food rescues and
hunger-based service projects.
To learn more about the 10 Under 20 Food Heroes program, visit
10under20foodheroes.com.
About Hormel Foods — Inspired People. Inspired
Food.™
Hormel Foods Corporation (NYSE: HRL),
based in Austin, Minnesota, is a
global branded food company with over $12
billion in annual revenue across more than 80 countries
worldwide. Its brands include Planters®,
Skippy®, SPAM®, Hormel® Natural
Choice®, Applegate®, Justin's®,
Wholly®, Hormel® Black Label®,
Columbus®, Jennie-O® and more than
30 other beloved brands. The company is a member of the S&P 500
Index and the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats, was named one of
the best companies to work for by U.S. News & World Report, one
of America's most responsible companies by Newsweek, recognized on
Fast Company's list of the 100 Best Workplaces for Innovators,
received a perfect score of 100 on the 2023–24 Corporate Equality
Index and has received numerous other awards and accolades for its
corporate responsibility and community service efforts. The company
lives by its purpose statement — Inspired People. Inspired
Food.™ — to bring some of the world's most trusted
and iconic brands to tables across the globe. For more information,
visit hormelfoods.com.
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