Dougherty Valley Junior Delivers Thousandth Meal To Homeless

The following is a press release from The Charity Kitchen.

SAN RAMON, CA — In an era marked by tremendous progress and advancements, the ongoing crisis of homelessness serves as a stark reminder of the societal challenges we must confront. This was what drove the 15 year old founder and CEO, Srivar Kalisetti of San Ramon, to start The Charity Kitchen and deliver fresh meals to the homeless.

Recently, The Charity Kitchen has hit its 500 meal goal and to celebrate, Srivar Kalisetti initiated the 500 Meal "Double It" campaign for the month of June. He committed to double his 500-meal goal by delivering 500 more meals by the end of the campaign.

In 2021, during the quarantine phase of COVID-19, Srivar developed a passion for cooking. As he spent more time at home honing his culinary skills, he also learned about the growing homelessness crisis in cities like Oakland and San Francisco. With a newfound drive to do good for his community, Srivar decided to utilize his passion for cooking to create The Charity Kitchen.

"I wanted to primarily focus on crafting homemade meals. Everybody, no matter their
circumstances, should enjoy the flavors of delicious and organic food," Srivar said. "Homeless shelters already go through a tremendous amount of organizing. This felt like the least I could do."

Srivar started raising funds through bake sales. He initiated "Cookies for Charity," selling homemade cookies and brownies to his community. Raising over $80 on his first sale, Srivar had enough funds for his first food drive. He bought pasta, bread, vegetables, and other ingredients in bulk at Costco, and his first meal drive was a success.

As the year went by, Srivar consistently delivered meals to Life Moves in Oakland and packaged food to Shepard's Gate. It was important for him to expand his charity to create the most impact possible. To do this, he needed to establish his non-profit by gaining its 501(c3) status.

"Obtaining my 501(c3) status was one of the most daunting things I have encountered on my journey so far and doing it alone did not help either. But after watching many YouTube videos, reading countless articles, and completing endless forms, I finally got my 501(c3) status," Srivar said. "As a small non-profit owner, I was overjoyed. It felt like a big step towards taking the Charity Kitchen to the next level."

At the start of 2023, Srivar set a goal to reach 500 meals in fresh made and packaged food by the end of his sophomore year at Dougherty Valley High School. As June rolled by, he was able to accomplish this goal, but felt The Charity Kitchen was not progressing at the pace he wanted.

That's why he started the campaign to deliver 500 more meals for the month of June. At every milestone there is a next step, and Srivar continues to push forward with his mission.

This time, he was not in it alone. After becoming a Presidential Volunteer Certified organization, Srivar started to attract more volunteers to The Charity Kitchen. He applied for small Costco grants and donations to sustain this campaign. It took a lot of planning and cooking to deliver these meals to the Life Moves shelter in San Jose, but at every donation date, the meal count seemed to increase. On June 21st 2023, Srivar officially delivered his 1000th meal.

"I am so proud to see how far The Charity Kitchen has come," he said. "At the start of the pandemic, I never would have guessed that my passion for cooking would be turned into a cause at this scale. I'm excited to see where this organization goes in the future. Eventually, I hope our meals can make a difference around the world."

This press release was produced by The Charity Kitchen. The views expressed here are the author’s own.