Making a difference: just add milk

It would be a rare sight to open a kitchen cupboard or pantry and not see a box or two of cereal sitting on the shelf. The popular breakfast food is a go-to choice for a simple and fast morning meal, and there are countless options to choose from.

For Ayden Gawtry, 14, of Buffalo, sitting down for a bowl of Cocoa Rice® or Fruit Loops® is a part of his regular routine. After volunteering with his family at the Buffalo Food Shelf, he realized this simple luxury is one denied to many kids; the food shelf shared it was difficult to collect breakfast items as they are needed by many. When the time came to complete a service project for his confirmation at Zion Lutheran Church, his volunteer experience inspired him to organize “Ayden’s Cereal Bowl,” collecting cereal and breakfast items to stock the shelves.

Filling the bowl

Knowing it would be easier for some to make monetary donations, Ayden began his project by setting up Venmo and PayPal accounts. From there, he printed and mailed flyers in August 2020, which explained his mission and how the community could be involved.

After spreading the word, it was time to focus on collecting items. Ayden used a variety of methods to accept donations throughout the month of September.

“We had a bucket on our front step [of our home] for people to drop off cereal,” Ayden said. “My friends and hockey team would also give me cereal.”

From receiving financial donations online or in the mail, to friends, family, and the community dropping off bags and boxes of cereal, the response to Ayden’s project was a success. In total, Ayden raised $900 and collected 180 pounds of cereal for the food shelf; to put that into perspective, the pounds of cereal would equal to approximately 160 boxes of family-sized Cheerios®.

Reflecting on the process

   The cereal drive was Ayden’s first project to have coordinated and organized. For him, it not only benefitted the food shelf, but also gave him a stronger appreciation for charities that conduct fundraising.

   “I didn’t realize how much hard work charities do,” Ayden said. “They raise thousands and tens of thousands of dollars, and I just raised $900, and I put a lot of work in. They put in a lot of effort to make their community better.”

   His mother, Lena, was also proud to see the work he did.

   “As a parent, you want to see your kids be a leader in the community and do different things like this,” she shared. “I think it really helped open his eyes, too, just even from the first initial volunteering that we did, to then walk through a process like this.”

   The boxes piled up in their house, from the garage and basement to even the bedroom as room was made to collect more. When the day arrived to drop off the collection, it was a significant moment for Ayden to see the result of his hard work.

   “It felt really good, knowing that I made my community a little bit better, and that people could eat breakfast in the morning,” Ayden said.

Filling the bowl, again

After seeing the contribution he could make to the community, Ayden said it would be something he would do again in the future.

“Maybe it would be something different than cereal,” he said. “I would have the money donation going a little longer, because it was more convenient for people. I would make it two months, two months for money and one for [the items].”

Making a difference

With ideas for the future, it’s an encouragement for the community to see younger residents be involved and wanting to make a difference.

“Everyone was overjoyed with just the fact that he was doing this, as a teenager,” Lena said.

When it came time for the next confirmation group to begin their projects, Ayden’s was used as the example, to inspire and encourage other kids to find ways they can make their community better. Seeing the impact he made proves how hard work, dedication, and community involvement pays off.

Though Ayden’s project has been completed, there’s still a need for donations at the Buffalo Food Shelf. Whether it’s in the form of donating food, financial contributions, or volunteering, working with the food shelf helps provide meals for the local community.

To learn more on how you can get involved, visit www.buffalofoodshelf.com, call (763) 684-1699, or find the organization on Facebook.

Quote

“It felt really good, knowing that I made my community a little bit better, and that people could eat breakfast in the morning.”

~ Ayden Gawtry ~