{"id":20069,"date":"2026-09-04T04:26:14","date_gmt":"2026-09-04T04:26:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/?p=20069"},"modified":"2026-09-04T04:26:14","modified_gmt":"2026-09-04T04:26:14","slug":"meet-jiya-patel-the-17-year-old-from-columbus-georgia-who-turned-restaurant-leftovers-into-a-40-chapter-network-donating-over-100000-worth-of-food","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/?p=20069","title":{"rendered":"Meet Jiya Patel, the 17-year-old from Columbus, Georgia who turned restaurant leftovers into a 40-chapter network donating over $100,000 worth of food"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"e9jwa\">\n<div class=\"vdo_embedd\">\n<div class=\"GfdvZ\">\n<section class=\"_bIDB  clearfix id-r-component leadmedia undefined undefined  E9tg9 \" style=\"top:0px\">\n<div class=\"_bIDB\" data-ua-type=\"1\" onclick=\"stpPgtnAndPrvntDefault(event)\">\n<div class=\"ypVvZ\">\n<div class=\"WGttI\"><img src=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/thumb\/msid-133745638,imgsize-90194,width-400,height-225,resizemode-4\/at-17-jiya-patel-is-turning-food-waste-into-hope-helping-communities-fight-hunger-one-donation-at-a-time.jpg\" alt=\"Meet Jiya Patel, the 17-year-old from Columbus, Georgia who turned restaurant leftovers into a 40-chapter network donating over $100,000 worth of food\" title=\"At 17, Jiya Patel is turning food waste into hope, helping communities fight hunger one donation at a time.\" decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Ta7d_ img_cptn\"><span title=\"At 17, Jiya Patel is turning food waste into hope, helping communities fight hunger one donation at a time.\">At 17, Jiya Patel is turning food waste into hope, helping communities fight hunger one donation at a time.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>At just 17, Jiya Patel is already making an impact far beyond her school in Columbus, Georgia. A rising senior, Jiya balances academics with the school golf team, Honor Council and Student Live Committee, where she helps organise events such as prom and pep rallies.<!-- --> But her biggest contribution extends beyond the school campus.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"3\"\/>According to Points of Light, Jiya is the co-founder of Thrive2Gethr, a student-led initiative that tackles two major issues at once: food waste and food insecurity. What began as a personal response to something she witnessed during a family trip to India has now grown into a nationwide network with around 1,200 members across 40 student-led chapters.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"7\"\/>Together, the chapters have facilitated donations of more than $100,000 worth of food from restaurants and bakeries to shelters and food banks.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"9\"\/><\/p>\n<p><h2>A trip to India sparked an idea<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p>Jiya\u2019s interest in volunteering began at her local temple, where she helped serve food and took part in gardening, cleaning and other activities. But a visit to India with her parents in 2023 changed the way she thought about hunger.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"12\"\/>\u201cI went to India with my parents and saw a lot of families without food and necessary resources. It stuck with me, and I started thinking a lot about hunger,\u201d Jiya said.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"16\"\/>She soon began looking into food waste in the United States and came across videos showing perfectly edible food being discarded.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"18\"\/>\u201cI realized that food waste and people facing food insecurity could be connected to address both problems. The food already existed; it just wasn\u2019t getting to people who needed it,\u201d she explained.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"20\"\/>That realisation led Jiya to co-found Thrive2Gethr in 2023.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"23\"\/><\/p>\n<p><h2>From hearing \u2018no\u2019 to building 40 chapters<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p>Getting the initiative off the ground was far from easy. In the early days, Jiya personally approached restaurants and other businesses in her community, hoping to convince them to donate excess food.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"26\"\/>\u201cI would make a list of 100 businesses and struggle to find any partners. Many would just say no, right off the bat,\u201d she recalled.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"28\"\/>But rejection did not stop her.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"30\"\/>\u201cI\u2019d keep following up with the ones that were leaning towards maybe,\u201d she said.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"33\"\/>Jiya also coordinated volunteers who collected the food and delivered it to shelters. As the organisation expanded, her role evolved from making local connections to mentoring other young leaders.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"35\"\/>Today, she recruits and supports student chapter leaders, helps them establish relationships with restaurants, creates guides and resources, and answers questions as they build their own programmes.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"37\"\/>She estimates that she spends around 30 hours each month volunteering.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"40\"\/><\/p>\n<p><h2>Building a movement led by young people<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p>For Jiya, the goal is not simply to make Thrive2Gethr bigger. She wants to ensure that existing chapters receive the support they need while continuing to expand.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"43\"\/>\u201cI want to keep expanding, but I want to ensure each of our chapters is still getting the support they need,\u201d she said, stressing the importance of finding a balance between growth and maintaining the organisation\u2019s existing network.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"45\"\/>Another priority is encouraging restaurants to become more comfortable with food donations. <!-- -->Jiya believes concerns about potential liability can sometimes discourage businesses from participating.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"49\"\/>She points to the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act of 1996, a federal law that provides certain protections for people who donate food in good faith.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"51\"\/>Thrive2Gethr provides restaurants with information about the law as part of its outreach, while also trying to raise awareness about food donation more broadly.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"54\"\/><\/p>\n<p><h2>The reward goes beyond the food<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p>The impact of the initiative, Jiya says, is not measured only in the amount of food redistributed. She also finds meaning in seeing other students become involved in helping their communities.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"57\"\/>\u201cGiving so much food to people who need it has been rewarding to see,\u201d she said.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"59\"\/>Depending on the location, the food is either delivered to a facility for distribution or given directly to people in need.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"61\"\/>Jiya particularly enjoys watching student volunteers become invested in the work.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"64\"\/>\u201cI\u2019ve also enjoyed watching students help people in their communities and be invested in it the same way I am,\u201d she said.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"66\"\/><\/p>\n<p><h2>What volunteering has taught her<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p>Through the experience, Jiya has learned that creating change does not have to be a solo effort.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"69\"\/>\u201cIt\u2019s a lot easier to make change when you work together,\u201d she said, pointing to the partnerships between students, restaurants and shelters.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"71\"\/>The experience has also taught her persistence. Convincing businesses to participate often means hearing \u201cno\u201d repeatedly before finding someone willing to help.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"74\"\/>\u201cYou have to push forward and hope that someone will end up saying yes,\u201d she said. \u201cI don\u2019t let things stop me when it gets hard.\u201d<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"76\"\/><\/p>\n<p><h2>\u2018You don\u2019t have to be a full-grown adult to start making change\u2019<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p>Jiya believes one of the biggest misconceptions about volunteering is that people need extensive experience or resources before they can make a difference.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"79\"\/>\u201cEveryone has to do their part to help. If you\u2019re able to, you should at least try. It doesn\u2019t have to be big,\u201d she said.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"81\"\/>Her own story, she believes, is proof that one person\u2019s decision to act can eventually create a much larger movement.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"84\"\/>\u201cIf you care about something and you work at it, even something small can create a big ripple effect. You never know who you\u2019ll inspire,\u201d she added.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"86\"\/>Jiya encourages others to start by contacting local restaurants, getting involved with existing initiatives or even creating a Thrive2Gethr chapter in their community.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"89\"\/>Her advice is simple: start small and keep going.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"91\"\/>\u201cYou don\u2019t have to be a full-grown adult to start making change,\u201d she said. <!-- -->\u201cIf you care about something, just start, and everything will work itself out.\u201d<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"95\"\/>As she prepares to head to college and pursue a career in business or economics, Jiya is already leaving behind a framework that other young leaders can use to make a difference.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"97\"\/>For her, the hardest part is not building a nationwide network. It is simply taking that first step.<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/world\/us\/meet-jiya-patel-the-17-year-old-from-columbus-georgia-who-turned-restaurant-leftovers-into-a-40-chapter-network-donating-over-100000-worth-of-food\/articleshow\/133745603.cms\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>At 17, Jiya Patel is turning food waste into hope, helping communities fight hunger one donation at a time. At just 17, Jiya Patel is already making an impact far beyond her school in Columbus, Georgia. A rising senior, Jiya balances academics with the school golf team, Honor Council and Student Live Committee, where she [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":20070,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20069","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-31"],"magazineBlocksPostFeaturedMedia":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/at-17-jiya-patel-is-turning-food-waste-into-hope-helping-communities-fight-hunger-one-donation-at-a-150x150.avif","medium":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/at-17-jiya-patel-is-turning-food-waste-into-hope-helping-communities-fight-hunger-one-donation-at-a-300x169.avif","medium_large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/at-17-jiya-patel-is-turning-food-waste-into-hope-helping-communities-fight-hunger-one-donation-at-a.avif","large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/at-17-jiya-patel-is-turning-food-waste-into-hope-helping-communities-fight-hunger-one-donation-at-a.avif","1536x1536":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/at-17-jiya-patel-is-turning-food-waste-into-hope-helping-communities-fight-hunger-one-donation-at-a.avif","2048x2048":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/at-17-jiya-patel-is-turning-food-waste-into-hope-helping-communities-fight-hunger-one-donation-at-a.avif","blogsy-small":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/at-17-jiya-patel-is-turning-food-waste-into-hope-helping-communities-fight-hunger-one-donation-at-a.avif","blogsy-small-tall":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/at-17-jiya-patel-is-turning-food-waste-into-hope-helping-communities-fight-hunger-one-donation-at-a.avif","blogsy-small-square":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/at-17-jiya-patel-is-turning-food-waste-into-hope-helping-communities-fight-hunger-one-donation-at-a.avif","blogsy-small-masonry":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/at-17-jiya-patel-is-turning-food-waste-into-hope-helping-communities-fight-hunger-one-donation-at-a.avif","blogsy-medium":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/at-17-jiya-patel-is-turning-food-waste-into-hope-helping-communities-fight-hunger-one-donation-at-a.avif","blogsy-medium-masonry":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/at-17-jiya-patel-is-turning-food-waste-into-hope-helping-communities-fight-hunger-one-donation-at-a.avif","blogsy-large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/at-17-jiya-patel-is-turning-food-waste-into-hope-helping-communities-fight-hunger-one-donation-at-a.avif","blogsy-wide":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/at-17-jiya-patel-is-turning-food-waste-into-hope-helping-communities-fight-hunger-one-donation-at-a.avif"},"magazineBlocksPostAuthor":{"name":"admin","avatar":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8709732a479614e7a8aa24d3eb1b239f30dc6d90c61464ed495001e7a469d856?s=96&d=mm&r=g"},"magazineBlocksPostCommentsNumber":"0","magazineBlocksPostExcerpt":"At 17, Jiya Patel is turning food waste into hope, helping communities fight hunger one donation at a time. At just 17, Jiya Patel is already making an impact far beyond her school in Columbus, Georgia. 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