Every bottle counts: Tiffany Bellomo, Oakland sophomore, raises funds to support Kids Against Hunger

Oakland sophomore Tiffany Bellomo raises funds to support Kids Against Hunger through fundraisers and bottle drives.

Kids Against Hunger is a non-profit, non-religious affiliated association that aims to feed hungry children all around the world.

Kids Against Hunger

Bellomo was introduced to Kids Against Hunger in her senior year of high school and decided to incorporate them in the campus event OU Day of Service.

“We had over 100 volunteers come; everyone was really happy to come help,” Bellomo said. “It was a really organized process and I really appreciated how organized and effective it was to go through the line and having people standing at each bin and pour stuff into a bag so it can get shipped around the world.”

The organization strives to feed the hungry around the world nutritious meals. The food is formulated by scientists to contain easily digestible proteins, carbohydrates and vitamins.

Last year alone, Kids Against Hunger packaged forty million meals for children and their families, according to their website kidsagainsthunger.org.

“We collected 11,000 meals,” Bellomo said. “One-third of that will go around the world to feed people, one-third will feed local charities and the other third will go towards efforts for natural disasters.”

Kids Against Hunger is open for anyone to get involved in. The network of Kids Against Hunger reaches beyond 100 satellite non-profit organizations. Anyone interested can set up a satellite from any location, information provided by the official web page. Anyone interested should go to their satellite page to learn more.

Lending a hand

Bellomo, a German and Biochemistry double-major, reached out to get Kids Against Hunger involved in OU Day of Service and raised funds through fundraisers and bottle drives.

“It taught me the worth of a bottle,” Bellomo said. “I went out and grabbed bottles lying on the street, go door to door. Every bottle meant a lot. Every bottle meant another meal for someone else.”

Bellomo went on to state it felt like her duty as a citizen to help those in need.

“All I can say is I’d want someone to help me if I was in a situation like that,” Bellomo said. “I’m still collecting cans, I live in West Vandy,” Bellomo said.

After graduation, Bellomo hopes to move on to become an anesthesiologist.

Anyone interested in donating cans can contact [email protected].