Lessons in Heroism From Tenacious Teens

A lot of times with nonprofits, there is an imbalance between the giver of help and the receiver. It’s a really important thing for youths to learn that giving back to the community is about the community, not about being a savior or fixing people. Teen Feed taught me that I can help, but I’m also learning and growing, building something together with the people I serve.

Sophia Moser was introduced to Teen Feed, a local nonprofit that works to meet the most basic needs of homeless youths in Seattle, through the Gates Foundation’s Take Action Summer Workshops a number of years ago. She interned at Teen Feed during her senior year of high school and continued to volunteer for another year after that. Moser eventually returned to Teen Feed as a staff member, recruiting and training new employees.

Now a graduate of the University of Washington with a degree in international relations, Moser is teaching English in Brazil on a Fulbright grant.