Help us help all of us!

Hello world!

I'm Antonio, and my dream is to help all of us, but first, I need your help!

Please get to know me story a little better before you consider helping:

After high school, I attended the Culinary Institute of America and spent the following three years working tirelessly in kitchens (The Spotted Pig, NoMad, Eleven Madison Park), and further developing my passion for food. I left the restaurant business to pursue higher education, but more specifically, to research the food system on a global scale and find solutions to problems like hunger, food waste, food insecurity, lack of nutrition, and industrial pollution to name a few. Now, I am one summer semester away from earning the degree that will change my life and give me the opportunity to impact the lives of many others in a positive way, though I have fallen short financially.

I'm currently a Senior at Drew University, where I study Environmental Sciences, Economics, Italian Language and more specifically: Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems. This month, I was awarded Drew's yearly Civic Engagement Award for my service to the Morris County, NJ community. I taught nutrition classes to impoverished families with City Harvest NYC, taught nutrition to immigrant families at the Neighborhood House of Morristown, interned for Slow Food USA, where I helped launch their first-ever food justice festival, and am currently conducting ongoing, important demographic research for one of the largest food pantries in NJ.

Just recently, I have been accepted to a study abroad in Umbria, Italy, where I will finally graduate with a Bachelor's degree, tutor English, serve the community, and conduct independent research on Italian food and agricultural systems. My dream is to push implementation of a more sustainable food system in America, and having already interned for Slow Food and many other food-centric non-profits, I'm not too far off.

Here's where you come in: financial assistance is not offered towards the programs I've recently been accepted to that will change my life, and help me make the world a better place! I are currently doing absolutely everything in my power to fund my expensive programs, and am still coming up short. I am humble enough to know I can't get anywhere in this world without a little help, and I can't wait to return the favor. For every $100.00 donated, I pledge to donate 30 minutes of our time to a local food bank, community garden, or Italian cultural center, and will document each visit on this page! I will also document every step of our journey together to Italy, Rutgers, and wherever else my service takes me.

With your assistance, I will be able to fund the programs needed in order to realize both of our dreams. I will be able to conduct my sustainable ag. research in Italy, and finally complete my degree.

Every penny counts! In addition to my pledged service, I will send a personal thank you to any named donations. More importantly than my service or thank yous, you will be helping me follow my dreams of making the world a healthier place to live for ALL of you and your loved ones. If you have the means and are willing, please help me support cultural exchange, community service, sustainability, language literacy, higher education, hard work, and love! We'll all be better off for it.

With love and gratitude,

Antonio