Drexel Student Starts Company To Provide Excess University Meals For Homeless

When Evan Ehlers was a Junior at Drexel University, he was faced with a familiar dilemma for many college students leaving campus at the end of the semester. What was he going to do with all of his left over meals on his college meal plan? Ehlers realized that he had 50 prepaid meals that would have gone to waste had they not be used before the semester concluded. Not wanting them to go to waste, Ehlers decided to take action

Ehlers used all of his leftover swipes that he could at the dinning hall, and filled his car with more than 50 meals which he went around distributing to the homeless people in Center City, Philadelphia. Ehlers tells The Philadelphia Citizen, "I remember the feeling that I had-- that feeling that something great was happening. I had never felt anything like that."

Ehlers wanted to continue giving back to the community, so he founded Sharing Excess, a non profit which encourages food providers to give excess meals to those in need. While the company is hoping the program will be in full force at Drexel starting next year, they are working with grocery stores like Trader Joe's to have their excess foods delivered to social service organizations. Ehlers believes that the company provides a great opportunity for students to be able to give back to their community, while directly helping the 326,000 people in Philadelphia who lack access to enough food for proper nourishment. If you would like to learn more or get involved, visit their company website.