By Emily Saxton
Founded by Tompkins High School students Neha Gadde and Hridha Mathuria, the 12k Project is a community service initiative making a difference in the greater Houston area. Backed by Future Business Leaders of America, the project aims to collect canned goods for reliable food banks with a focus on 1,000 cans collected per month. This monthly total adds to 12,000 cans annually, donated by members and businesses of the community such as Kroger and Costco.
Inspired by a public speaker who discussed personally struggling with the impact of hunger, the 12k Project was launched in the beginning of 2022 as a means to combat food insecurity caused by inflation and the pandemic. Since its launch, the project has now collected more than 6,000 cans for the community.
The 12k Project has been recognized at various levels, being entered in competitions both locally and nationally. “We entered our project in the Future Business Leaders of America competition, where we won at area and placed 4th at state,” says Gadde. “We are currently preparing to present our project at nationals in Chicago, where we have a 15-page report presentation.”
If you would like to contribute or be involved, email the 12k Project at the12kproject@gmail.com and visit www.the12kproject.wixsite.com. To stay up to date, follow the Instagram page @the12kproject.
