Extreme poverty and hunger have plagued this country for decades, forcing modern social justice leaders to get creative in their methods of social action today. Enter FeelGood, a student organization that exchanges grilled cheese sandwiches for donations towards larger organizations working to end the multifaceted issue of hunger.
“It’s a very simple solution to a very large, complex problem,” explained Marcy Senti, vice-president and founding member of DU’s FeelGood chapter. “We’re just showing up at different events and offering grilled cheese for a suggested donation, but we’re catering to the college student demographic. I think people want to [get involved], and this is a very accessible way to do that.”
FeelGood began as a passion project of cross country runners at the University of Texas Austin, founded on the dream of recruiting spirited college students to work towards ending food insecurity in their communities.
The concept was simple: providing grilled cheese on campus for a suggested donation and passing the proceeds on to larger, more established organizations that are already working to combat the intersectional issue of hunger. Today, FeelGood is a national movement, empowering students throughout the country to raise money and start conversations about global hunger on their college campuses.
“Every exchange of a grilled cheese—and a potential donation—also comes with a conversation,” said Senti. “We talk a lot about how to have conversations about global poverty and world hunger, making the education portion a large part of how we run our deli.”
Senti, alongside FeelGood president Sophie Bergan, began DU’s chapter in March of 2021 after discovering a lack of coverage in the Western US. The organization’s unique model of community engagement interested the two as well, as FeelGood collaborates with local businesses to source all grilled cheese ingredients. This aspect, although beneficial in involving the Denver community, has presented challenges for the pair. “Trying to get this off the ground during COVID was a pretty big victory for us,” Senti said.
Even before the complex set of issues introduced by the COVID-19 pandemic, food insecurity has forever been intertwined with other aspects of social inequity.
“Addressing world hunger is going to address, in some way or another, all of the other issues that are interconnected in that web of global poverty,” Senti explained. “World hunger affects things like education, gender inequality—they’re all connected in some way.”
Through the simple act of making grilled cheese, college students are able to employ their passions and spread awareness about food insecurity throughout DU’s campus, and surrounding community.
“We would like to make this long-lasting,” said Senti. “We want to keep people aware of global hunger and poverty, and aware of what they can do to change it within the DU community.”
For more information about FeelGood DU, visit their Instagram at @feelgooddu.
