DC AALEADers Donate to Martha’s Table

By Shobana Modur, DC Middle and High School Program Coordinator
Photos courtesy of AALEAD staff and Martha’s Table

Since working at AALEAD, I’ve gone to several community service events where youth have had the opportunity to give back to their community.  Last week at programs, the Chinatown youth discussed homelessness and poverty in the DC area.  We covered true/false statistics and how much it typically costs to feed one family per week.  When I mentioned donating goods to Martha’s Table, AALEADers were quick to create a list of what they could bring and how we could, as a group, take steps to alleviate poverty.  Martha’s Table is a local DC nonprofit, working to break the cycle of poverty by providing food, clothing, and personal hygiene supplies to families across DC.

(Image courtesy of www.marthastable.org)

The following program day, AALEADers brought in an abundance of items they had in their pantries: canned vegetables and fruit, beans, as well as shampoos and conditioners.  I brought in boxes of breads, meats, and cheeses.  Within minutes of arriving, youth took the lead in setting up stations and appointed several tasks to each other: some youth were responsible for decorating the lunch bags, others cut the meat and cheese, and others stuffed and counted the sandwiches.  Through delegating tasks, AALEADers finished with time to spare for general thoughts and reflection about homelessness.  From this activity, they learned that in just under one hour and through an organized team effort, they can provide meals for hundreds of families across DC.  Special thanks to Martha’s Table for kindly accepting our donations.  We’re looking forward to more collaborations in the future!