Lilah Sen is from Westfield New Jersey and has grown up there her entire life. Her parents always emphasized the importance of gratitude, and the value of giving to those in need. In the beginning of October, a government shutdown struck the USA. Lilah stated, “I saw an increased need for help in my own community, and I wanted to take action.” The Gratitude Gathering Project aims to combat rising food insecurity in New Jersey by raising money to donate canned goods to local food pantries.
Lilah struggled at first to get people to donate money, but was able to get quite a large sum of money after a little bit. She found that a lot of people ended up being willing to donate to the Gratitude Gathering Project because of how impactful food insecurity has been on the broader community. ”
Lilah and her action team were thrilled to have a successful fundraiser. With the money raised and cans donated, Lilah and her team were able to donate boxes upon boxes of boxed foods and canned goods to their local food pantry called Westfield Food Pantry. The fundraiser kicked off two weeks before Thanksgiving, running off of the theme of gratitude and helping those in need with the upcoming holiday. The food pantry was ecstatic to receive so many donations from Lilah and her team, and the success of the Gratitude Gathering Project. When working with the Westfield Food Pantry, one of the volunteers working there stated, “Thank you so much for all of your donations, you have no idea what kind of impact this will have on our community.” Lilah and her team were so happy that they were able to help in the way that they did, and hope to have more successful fundraisers in the future!
Because Lilah’s CLP is a singular event and not ongoing, she does not plan to have it be taken over by anyone. Although it was a one time event, Lilah said,
“I plan to continue hosting events like this in the future, because I think that food drives are truly one of the most beneficial ways I can donate my time and energy to others.”
Lilah plans to continue pursuing community service opportunities in food insecurity whether that be leading fundraisers or volunteering for them.