What started as a simple dessert fundraiser organised by a teenager two years ago has grown into a student-led volunteer project that has rescued more than 300,000 pounds of food for families across Northern Virginia.
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that → start → Virginia
Dhevesh Mahes started his sweet treats project to raise money for charity, but the effort soon grew after he connected with local community leaders.
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he → start → leaders
He saw how much good food was being thrown away while many local families struggled to afford groceries.
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families → see → groceries
Mahes then formed the Nourishin Ninjas, a youth team working directly with Anna Sudha Community Kitchens.
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Mahes → form → Kitchens
According to profile information from nonprofit organisation Points of Light, which named Mahes a Daily Point of Light Award honoree, the youth group has kept more than 300,000 pounds of food from ending up in landfills.
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group → accord → landfills
Instead, the rescued produce, baked goods and prepared meals are given to families across the region who are facing food insecurity.
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who → rescue → insecurity
Mobilising youth volunteers and local partners
The Nourishin Ninjas has grown largely by bringing together student volunteers from schools in the area.
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Ninjas → mobilise → area
Since starting the project, Mahes has recruited and organised more than 150 young people across the region.
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Mahes → start → region
The volunteers handle tasks such as collecting surplus food, packing food boxes, managing deliveries and helping with weekly distributions.
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volunteers → handle → distributions
To keep a steady supply of rescued food, Mahes has created partnerships with more than 10 local businesses, grocery stores and community organisations.
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Mahes → keep → businesses
These partners donate extra food that might otherwise be thrown away because of limited shelf life or excess stock.
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that → donate → life
The team also focuses on making sure families can easily access the food.
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access → focus → food
Many low-income households may have difficulty travelling to food pantries located far from their homes.
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households → have → homes
To help, Mahes worked with family liaisons at local public schools.
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Mahes → help → schools
These school-based staff members help identify families who need support and arrange for groceries and hot meals to be delivered closer to where they live.
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they → base → support
Raising funds and expanding community leadership
The youth project has also worked to build a reliable source of funding.
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project → raise → funding
Under Mahes's leadership, the Nourishin Ninjas has raised nearly $52,000 through donations and grants.
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Ninjas → raise → donations
The money helps pay for operating costs, vehicle transport, storage equipment and emergency food purchases for partner distribution networks.
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money → help → networks
Mahes's community work also led to his appointment as a Youth Advisor on the board of directors at Anna Sudha Community Kitchens.
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work → lead → Kitchens
In that role, he helps with outreach plans and promotes greater involvement by students in solving community problems.
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he → help → problems
In an interview with Points of Light, Mahes said his motivation comes partly from his family.
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motivation → say → family
He described his grandfather as an important influence who showed him the importance of helping others quietly and without expecting anything in return.
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who → describe → return
"My grandfather helped people simply because it was the right thing to do," Mahes said in the Points of Light feature.
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Mahes → help → feature
Mahes said he hopes the group's work shows how much young people can contribute to their communities right now.
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people → say → communities
He believes teenagers should be seen as active members of civic life rather than only as future leaders who have to wait until they are older.
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they → believe → leaders
With new business partnerships and fundraising efforts underway, the Nourishin Ninjas continues to expand its weekly food distribution across Northern Virginia.
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Ninjas → continue → Virginia
The Aporia
