The Bread of Life Leadership team is excited to announce the recipients of our newly created Ambassadors of Hope Awards. The idea for this Award was born during the COVID-19 pandemic when our region of New York became one of the hotspots in the nation. Hoarding of food during this time has led to shortages of food available for food rescue and distribution. This has disproportionately impacted the most vulnerable members of our community-the poor, the elderly, the sick, and children. It was during this time of fear and desperation, that two high school students decided to take on leadership roles in garnering scarce resources in their communities to help feed those in need and support the mission of the Bread of Life that no one should ever go hungry.
Two local high school students, who have been involved with the Bread of Life for most of their high school years, have extended extraordinary efforts during this time of the greatest need. It is in their honor that we have decided to establish the Ambassador of Hope Award. The goal of this award is to recognize leadership, initiative, and dedication of a high school junior who has worked at least 2 years with the Bread of Life in helping to eliminate hunger and impact his or her community.
Lia Tunney
Lia is a junior at Ursuline High School. She has a deep humility, dedication, and passion for helping others. Lia has been a consistent help and integral part of the Bread of Life for years, first volunteering in middle school. One could even say that Lia has grown up with the Bread of Life. Lia has been involved with many aspects of the Bread of Life, volunteering at our food pantry, packing pantry bags, and making use of her artistic abilities to create new display posters for the Bread of Life. Lia has been a constant source of much-needed help at our grocery store food drives, often standing outside in the cold and rain for many hours straight. She does not shy away from any task that needs to be done, even willing to fill an empty volunteer slot at a moment’s notice. On her own initiative, Lia planned, established, and has co-led the Bread of Life Club at Ursuline High School. She has organized a variety of fundraising activities such as food drives and bake sales, as well as encouraged other students to volunteer with the Bread of Life.
During the Coronavirus pandemic, Lia saw the great need and her heart was moved to do more. She initiated a food drive in her neighborhood and collected numerous bags of nonperishable food items and delivered them to the pantry. She is also currently helping with food rescue from some of our local food donor partners. Lia’s rare combination of humility, dedication, and unwavering service has made her a memorable and impactful member of the Bread of Life Team.
Adam Wasserman
Adam is currently a junior at Scarsdale HIgh School. He was first introduced to Bread of Life a few years ago during a Bread of Life dinner at a local homeless shelter. From that time on, Adam has taken an active role in Bread of Life, including food drives and at our pantry. On multiple occasions, Adam has enlisted the help of both family and friends to put together pantry bags. Adam has a passion for helping those in need. He has not only helped with Bread of Life’s existing food rescue, but also has sought to establish new contacts and sources of excess food from local businesses. Adam is one of the leaders in the Bread of Life Club in his school and has been instrumental in mobilizing his peers to participate and make a difference in the community.
During the Coronavirus pandemic, Adam has shown both remarkable compassion and leadership. He sent a letter to his neighbors about the tremendous need for food and asked them to participate in a food drive that he was holding at the end of his driveway. He contacted the local media to gain more coverage for his initiative and has personally delivered multiple carloads of food to the Bread of Life food pantry. He has also contacted businesses in his town in the hopes of finding some with excess food who are willing to donate. Adam’s passion and desire to make a difference as well as his willingness to take risks and explore new ideas embody the essence of the mission of the Bread of Life. These qualities are what make him an outstanding member of the Bread of life Team.
Food donations may be dropped off at 65 Orchard Avenue in Rye. Financial donations may be made via Venmo Bread Life @Bread-of-Life or www.GivingTreeGlobal.org.
THANK YOU. WE COULD NOT DO THIS WITHOUT YOU.