She Feeds BedStuy's Working Poor

Not everyone can walk away from a highly paid corporate job to become a leader in nonprofit work.

Melony Samuels, founder of the BedStuy Campaign Against Hunger, is one such person. She went from making a good income selling insurance to running an organization that now gives out an average of more than 90,000 meals every month, according to an article by Rita Delfiner in the New York Post. The newspaper has nominated her for its annual award that spotlights the good work of city residents.

Samuels told Delfiner that she got interested in helping people in her community after she happened across a mother of four who was having trouble feeding her children.

"I jumped in and helped her," Samuels told Delfiner. "I made her a nice basket -- and then there were other people in need."

That was back in 1998, the year she quit her sales job and launched her food pantry.

"We feed over 10,000 individuals every month, on average, at the supermarket-style pantry," Samuels told Delfiner. Samuels said her pantry is busier than ever.

"We're seeing a lot of unemployed," Samuels told Delfiner, adding that her group has seen "an increase in the working poor, and we are averaging over 90,000 meals per month."

"Green Teens" is Samuels' newest project. The group has set up a backyard garden at its Brooklyn headquarters.

"It's our 'green teens' garden, where a lot of youths get a chance to work," Samuels said. In the past 12 months, the teens' garden has given half a ton of fruit and vegetables to pantry clients who have diabetes.

Does she miss her old life after 11 years of nonprofit work?

"I love to see a smile on people's face," she said. "I like to know I've helped people. I like to give. That's worth more to me than just making money."

Photo courtesy of Diego Cupolo, via Flickr