Teenage brothers Owen and Zach Gershwin have collected and donated over 70,000 meals to food pantries across NJ and MA.
LIVINGSTON, NJ, UNITED STATES, March 19, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Teenage brothers Owen and Zach Gershwin are fighting food insecurity with the Breakfast Brigade, a youth-led initiative to collect and donate breakfast foods to those in need within local communities. Since 2020, they’ve delivered
over 70,000 meals—valued at $35,000—to food pantries across New Jersey and Massachusetts, providing vital morning nourishment to children and families. Their efforts have been recognized by the Suburban Essex Magazine and continue to gain traction.Spurred by the rising rates of food insecurity during the pandemic, the Gershwin brothers mobilized their community to donate essential breakfast items. Their efforts have benefited local organizations including Tony's Kitchen, Livingston Neighbors Helping Neighbors, the Berkshire Dream Center, and the Thirteenth Avenue School.
Recognizing that over 44 million Americans—including 1 in 5 children—experience hunger, the Gershwins founded the Breakfast Brigade to engage and unite local communities around the cause. Their approach focuses on providing high-quality, balanced meals to fuel recipients’ days.
“It pained us to know that children our age didn't have access to breakfast,” says Zach Gershwin. “Everyone needs a nutritious and filling meal to start the day and perform at their best.”
While volunteering at the Interfaith Food Pantry of the Oranges, the brothers were inspired to do more. “When we started this initiative, we hoped to raise 1,000 meals, if we were lucky,” says Owen Gershwin.
With a combination of grassroots fundraising, community partnerships, and tireless dedication, the Breakfast Brigade has far exceeded their goal. A single food drive at Camp Winadu last summer alone yielded over 6,000 servings of cereal.
"It blew us away how many donations had been made," Owen recalls. However, the fight against food insecurity is far from over. The brothers are now setting their sights on an ambitious new goal: to collect and donate one million servings of breakfast by the end of 2026, coinciding with their first semester of college.
To help reach their goal, the duo has launched a Teen Ambassador program to engage and partner with like-minded youth in cities across the country including Philadelphia, Port Washington, Sarasota, Los Angeles, and New York City, with plans to expand to Ann Arbor, San Francisco, and beyond. Each ambassador will lead local efforts in his or her respective community, extending the Breakfast Brigade’s impact nationwide.
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Join the Movement
Help the Breakfast Brigade combat food insecurity by purchasing needed breakfast items on their Amazon Storefront. Follow @breakfast_brigade on Instagram to learn more or become a teen ambassador. Email breakfastbrigade.us@gmail.com with any questions.
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About the Gershwin Brothers
Owen and Zach Gershwin are juniors in high school at Newark Academy in Livingston, NJ. Lifelong breakfast enthusiasts, they have relied on milk and cereal as a staple for years. Passionate about food accessibility, they serve as Teen Board Members for the Interfaith Food Pantry of the Oranges and Co-Presidents of the 1774 Sandwich Initiative. They hope to expand their knowledge of social enterprises and make a lasting impact in the space.
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