Food insecurity continues to be a big problem for hundreds of thousands of families in Los Angeles. So, our KNX Helpful Honda Hero of the Week has come up with a simple, yet effective way, to help get food on the table!
"It's probably the most heart-warming experience, ever," explains 16 year-old Nithin Parthasarathy. He is feeding the hungry, one bagel at a time.
A year ago, while visiting a local bagel shop, the teenager noticed that food workers were just throwing away unused parts, or even whole bagels that were a day old. So, Nithin created the “Zero Waste Initiative.”
"We collect unsold bagels and baked goods, at the end of day, from stores,” says Nithin. “Then, we donate them to organizations that serve people in need, on both the national and local level. "
Nithin ParthasarathyKNX 1070 News Handout
Every single day, Nithin and his small team of volunteers swing by participating bagel shops and bakeries. In just a year, the food they've gathered has been valued at over $100,000!
Nithin says volunteers, like Amita Ramanujan, really make a big difference when it comes to distributing the unsold breads and pastries. "Stores like Starbucks and Dunkin' Donuts - anything they can't sell at the end of the day - we go and pick them up," explains Nithin.
During a family trip to India, Nithin saw first-hand the desperation some families face just to get food on the table. Here in Southern California, especially during the pandemic, Nithin knows that food insecurity is a major problem as well. "I realized that disparity: where there's so many people wasting food, while people around them are starving."
Convincing people to hop on-board to the “Zero Waste Initiative” wasn't easy, but the teenager stayed persistent. "Convincing people about how much this is really needed was kind of a struggle, initially. But, when people hop on-board, they really see how much of an effect it has."
Nithin's mother says her son's commitment is inspiring. "I'm proud that he's able to do some community service," exclaims Raji Kannan. "Also, being a high school student and juggling his homework and extra-curricular activities, I'm really proud to see him grow! He's a good person, and a good citizen."
Nithin ParthasarathyKNX 1070 News Handout
Northwood High School Junior Nithin Parthasarathy is our KNX Hero of the Week! He's feeding the hungry, one bagel at time!
"Seeing people really happy is really heartwarming, all-around!" says Nithin. "It really makes me feel like I have a purpose in the world."
KNX Heroes is brought by California Resources Corporation, saluting our military veterans, and all of our heroes! Go to https://www.crc.com/ for more information.
If you'd like to get involved with the "Zero Waste Initiative" go to https://0wasteinitiative.org/
You can also follow Nithin and his team of volunteers on Instagram @zer0wasteinitiative and on Twitter @InitiativeWaste
If you know someone who is inspirational, motivational, life-changing or life-saving... nominate them as a future KNX Hero of the Week at https://knxnews.radio.com/nominate
