Five seniors at True North Classical Academy in South Florida have started a nonprofit that serves steak instead of the usual sack lunch. The group, called the Giving Grill, is looking for community sponsors to expand its dinners across the region.
Founder Nicolas Bello said the group chose steak on purpose. “We decided to go for something that’s more connecting, like steak, and can bring more people together,” he said. The idea came up during a get-together among friends, according to senior Milad Farajzadeh, who said Bello asked, “What if we do a steak non-profit?”
So far, the students have served about 300 people and grilled 150 pounds of steak at a homeless shelter. Volunteers serve the meals themselves and sit down with the people they feed, which Bello called the best part of the work.
The seniors said every dollar they raise goes toward buying steak and reaching more people. They plan a larger fundraising event next, and senior Macsen Rowlands said it will be more involved than a typical fundraiser. The students credit their mentors and educators at True North for helping them build the program.
Several of the students plan to attend college this year. They said they hope to start Giving Grill chapters or similar outreach in other communities, noting that food insecurity is not limited to Miami.
