This Young Man is Helping to Fight Hunger One Meal at a Time

by Melissa Miller on January 14, 2012

This isn’t my usual type of post about a deal, savings event, or a real work at home opportunity. Since this is a new year, I thought I would start it out with an inspirational story. I hope you’re all OK with that! (Parts of this post are taken from an article written by By Andrea Stephaich, For Journal Register News Service which can be found HERE).

I’d like to take this time to introduce an extraordinary young man who is making a difference in other people’s lives by giving back. I think if you read about him, it will inspire you to do more (if you aren’t already) like it has inspired me (more to come on this in the upcoming weeks:)

He is only 24 years old and his name is Derek Fiorenza. Since 2007, Derek has been on a quest to tackle one of the world’s toughest problems, hunger. Through his nonprofit, Fiorenza’s Food for Friends, or F4, he has provided meals for the homeless nationwide.

When Derek was 19, he single-handedly began F4 to raise awareness about hunger and inspire others to take action in their communities.

While he was growing up, his parents took him to homeless shelters during the holiday season to serve food. Once he matured, he realized how wide the socioeconomic gap really is between the haves and have-nots and organized 25 meals to be prepared and served in a homeless shelter in his hometown, Coatesville, PA.

He said the success of the event encouraged him to push forward, and the following year 100 meals were served.

In 2011, F4 served 25,000 meals across 14 states, and will be expanding to additional states in 2012. Derek’s ultimate goal is to have a presence in the form of an F4 chapter in every state, and in every major city of every state.

Derek Fiorenza on 30 minutes with Rick Anthony part 1 (Part 2 &3 can be viewed from the selections given at the end of this video)

Derek says, “Anyone who says it’s not necessary to care about others is, in my opinion, living an unfulfilled life; they are not living to their full potential. The secret to living is giving,” Fiorenza said.

I met Derek after a speech he gave at my son’s school. I was so inspired by him, I offered my website design services to him for free so he could get a more professional online presence for F4 and continue to spread the word about his cause. Since our meeting, F4Service.org was created, as well as F4′s Facebook Page.That’s where you come in.

We need help spreading awareness about the hunger issue in our country. If you are inspired by Derek’s story, like I was, would you mind going over to Facebook and clicking “Like” on the F4 Facebook Page and then telling your friends to do the same? Wouldn’t that be wonderful if Derek could reach the goal of at least 25,000 fans in 2012–the number of meals he helped serve to the less fortunate last year?!

You can read more about Derek in this local newspaper article written about him in the Daily Local News: Passion For Fighting Hunger.

Thank you for your help and time!

P.S. Don’t forget to visit F4′s Facebook Page HERE and click “Like.”