New student organization advocates for anti-poverty initiative

Nourish International, a student movement that partners with communities to make a lasting impact on extreme poverty, recently established a new chapter of its organization on the Hopkins campus. The organization runs business ventures to raise awareness for issues of international development.

Sophomore Brianna So formed the Hopkins chapter of Nourish to explore and raise student awareness for the international development, sustainability, partnership and social entrepreneurship.

So explained that she hopes the organization plans will not only build a lasting impact for impoverished populations, but also empower students and communities to lead that change.

“On campus, there’s not much dialogue about these kinds of issues,” So said. “We’re not just raising awareness for our organization but hoping to get people involved and more aware of these issues. We want to spark conversations, have people ask what [Nourish] stands for and why we are doing this.”

So believes that Nourish takes a unique, student-centered approach, which sets it apart from other service initiatives. Nourish students partner with communities who lack the necessary funds and resources for development projects to help them realize their entrepreneurial vision to eradicate poverty.

“Nourish has a different approach to service work abroad,” she said. “It promotes the idea that students are the way to move forward.”

So explained the inspiration behind her decision to launch the organization on campus, particularly citing her interest in international affairs.

“I actually heard about it by chance through my high school counselor,” she said. “I told her that I was interested in studying international relations... and she put me in contact with someone who works in the international office [of Nourish].”

The organization’s first event of the year, Paint Out Poverty, took place on the Levering Courtyard, Wednesday, Sept. 28. Paint Out Poverty invited students to pick up a paintbrush and paint words associated with poverty alleviation on a poster. The first five people to use pre-determined words won Chipotle gift cards.

So described the logistics behind Paint Out Poverty, and the way their organization encouraged students to get involved.

“For our ventures, our members volunteer to be chairs and they’re the primary ones in charge of it,” she said. “Paint Out Poverty was planned and led by two of our members who stepped up to become venture chairs. So even though the executive board provides the support and work plan, all our members are actively participating and become leaders through it.”

Junior Tracy Chen appreciated the Paint Out Poverty event for its innovative approach to tackling poverty in the community.

“This event is really creative and cool in that it brings up concepts of what comes to mind about poverty,” Chen said. “In terms of Nourish itself, they are very relevant and significant to discussion and the Baltimore community. I think they’re doing very important work.”

Freshman Megha Andrews also commented that poverty is often an overlooked issue in the community, and that Nourish was doing the necessary work to bring important dialogues onto campus.

“Poverty is an issue that’s very common in this area, but people don’t really address it because you kind of forget that it’s there,” Andrews said. “I think that it’s really cool just to have something that specifically brings poverty into attention here on campus.”

Freshman Brandon Lien commended Nourish for the work they were doing on the Hopkins campus.

“Nourish is a great club because they are making a real impact on the community,” Lien wrote in an email to The News-Letter. “Their relationship with the community is really unique in comparison with other charity-based clubs.”

Freshman Sudgie Ma echoed Lien’s sentiments, adding that the organization’s international appeal made it particularly unique.

“I think Nourish is cool and can perform well,” Ma said. “I really like the mission, and it’s definitely a good cause that benefits both students and people abroad.”

Although Nourish is a new organization on campus, So has big aspirations and a clear vision for the future. Out of sixty other collegiate chapters nationwide, So named the Miami University of Oxford’s division as one she wished to emulate.

“They’ve been around for approximately six years, but they’ve raised over $20,000 to allocate towards community projects,” she said.

So also spoke to the future events Nourish is planning for the year, including Repurposing Imperfect Produce Effectively (RIPE) and Hunger Lunch.

“With RIPE, or Repurposing Imperfect Produce Effectively, we plan to partner with the Farmers Market or a grocery store to collect ugly food to make into smoothies that can be sold on campus,” So said. “This way, we can reduce food waste while raising money for our project at the same time. Meanwhile, the Hunger Lunch program would involve partnering with Chipotle or Tambers. By buying rice and beans at a discounted rate, Hunger Lunch would provide students with other dining options while having them understand and experience what people experiencing poverty are living on every day.”