Summit Teen Sells 'Need To Eat' Apparel To Fight Hunger Across US

SUMMIT, NJ — Summit High School sophomore Ally Lipschitz has found a new way to help the hungry across the country during the pandemic.

Ally, 16, began selling clothing with her logo "Need to Eat" on her new website, www.needtoeatapparel.com, to raise money for food pantries and food banks across the country.

She said she saw a news program in November 2020 that inspired her to take action.

"This all started when I was watching the news one evening with my mom and saw a car line that seemed to span for miles," Ally said. "I asked my mom what they were waiting in line for, thinking it was for some outdoor concert or event. She said sadly, no, the long line of cars was actually for a food bank."

Ally added, "I was shocked. It looked like a breadline during the Depression, a scene out of something I had studied in history class."

Houses of worship and community groups often run "food pantries" to give food to their local needy. Some pantries even help out with cleaning supplies, diapers, and menstrual products.

"I thought of ways I could raise money for food banks and pantries but wanted to do something more than just ask people for cash," she said. "I wanted to sell something that would raise money but would also spread to word that nearly 50 million people in our country were food insecure, a term I hadn’t ever heard before."

Ally set up www.needtoeatpparel.com toward the end of last year. Since then, she and a group of volunteers have held fundraisers and made donations to several non-profits. She also enlisted a friend she met years ago at sleep away camp to get involved from the West Coast.

A December fundraiser for GRACE food pantry in Summit raised $1,700. A second fundraiser for SHIP Summit Helping Its people raise over $1,000.

Expanding nationally

"After having two very successful fundraisers for charities in New Jersey, I knew I wanted to do something even bigger and try to help families around the country," Ally said recently. "I reached out to my friend Ryan who I had met at sleepaway camp seven years ago and who lives in Calabasas, Calif. I asked her if she wanted to help me expand Need To Eat Apparel to and be our West Coast Ambassador. She said yes and is so excited to help people in Los Angeles."

The group's most recent fundraiser resulted in a $900 donation for the Hollywood Food Coalition in Los Angeles.

"We are selling the flagship sweatpants as well as a new edition of our hoodie," Ally said. "It’s going very well so far. I will probably expand the fundraisers again to serve other people in the Midwest, Texas and in Florida."

So far, the group has raised a total of $4,000 to donate.

Ally implores everyone to check out the website and also follow her group on social media:

• Instagram and Facebook: @needtoeatapparel
• Website: needtoeatapparel.com

This story is part of Patch's Headlining Hope series, which profiles local nonprofits and charitable organizations in need of volunteers and resources. If you know of a local organization that should be profiled, contact caren.lissner@patch.com

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