From One Sandwich to a National Movement
In 2010, Christine (Makhuli) Cotton ’87 was living in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, when her son asked her to pack extra sandwiches in his lunch under the guise that he wanted to bulk up. Cotton obliged but soon noticed no change in her son’s appearance.
“The extra sandwiches kept going in, but he kept looking the same,” Cotton said.
When confronted, Cotton’s son admitted his best buddy at the lunch table didn’t have enough to eat. If he brought in extra sandwiches, his friend could take them home.
“It changed everything for me,” Cotton says. “I had to do something.”
Around the same time, Cotton’s friends were collecting cans of tuna to stock a local food pantry. Cotton, who has an MBA, quickly put on her business hat.
“We wanted to remove barriers to help. People wanted to help, but they were busy and didn’t always know how to,” says Cotton. “So, we asked people to leave the donations on their porches, and we picked them up.”
That idea soon grew into the early days of PORCH Communities, Cotton’s repeatable model of monthly neighborhood food drives and fresh produce distribution, supplying food pantries, schools and community programs across the country. Today, PORCH’s volunteer network of 50 chapters has contributed more than $12 million in hunger relief. The volunteer networks collaborate with local pantries to identify specific needs, so that people are able to shop from a list and pantries get what they need. It is a win-win.
From one extra sandwich to a national movement, Christine’s story reminds us that small gestures can change lives.
It starts with awareness. It grows with compassion. And at Le Moyne, it’s in our DNA.
At the Core of a Jesuit Education
Seeing Help Is Needed
According to Associate Professor of Psychology Rachel Dinero, Ph.D., who teaches social psychology at Le Moyne, the first step in engaging with your community, whether it’s through service, philanthropy or volunteering, is noticing that help is needed. “A lot of times there’s a lack of awareness that something is happening that needs help or there’s a sense that someone’s individual help isn’t going to make a difference.”
Inspired by Christine's Story?
Consider starting a PORCH in your neighborhood. It’s simple! Invite your neighbors to leave a bag of non-perishable food on their front porches once a month. Pick up the donations with a friend (or two!) and enjoy a walk with purpose. Deliver the items to a local food pantry. (PORCH will help you find one nearby.)
We learn at Le Moyne: Don’t just take things at face value. Be a critical thinker and be compassionate. This is at the core of Jesuit education.”
