A newly formed group of South students called the Thrive Youth Council is working to raise awareness of Thrive Global. Thrive Global is a non-profit organization devoted to feeding hungry youth in Bangladesh and the Philippines. The Thrive Youth Council at South, which is still in its initial stage, plans to engage students in global matters and philanthropy.
Thrive Global was co-founded by three mothers, Gina Gabel, Cristina Imperial Carl, and Amna Rahman, 12 years ago. The organization feeds over 2,000 children in Bangladesh and the Philippines daily, providing healthy and nourishing meals. It was created on the promise to serve children in the Korail slums of Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Daughter of Gina Gabel, Lucy Gabel ’25, is leading the council. The main goal of the council is to raise funds and spread information for Thrive Global.
“The Thrive Youth Council is a group of high school students who are looking to bring their perspective and donate their time to people who need it,” Lucy Gabel said.
The council has begun thinking about various ways to raise funds for their cause, including collaborating with SEEDS (Strategies for Ecology Education, Diversity and Sustainability) club, another student group at South that prioritizes students empowering education, and reaching out to the community for donations.
“We’ve had members go to the Memorial Church to present Thrive and ask for donations,” Lucy Gabel said. “We are just trying to spread the word about Thrive and promote ourselves.”
While the council is fairly new, they aim to keep their meetings casual and collective.
“The meetings are more conversation-based,” Lucy Gabel said. “Everyone has a say and can suggest their ideas.”
A few months ago, Thrive Global served its 4 millionth meal. Their message is simple: they deliver meals to hungry kids worldwide. Gina Gabel says the hardest scene she had to process was that of little kids risking their lives weaving in and out of traffic and begging for food on the streets.
“It’s always about finding hungry kids, finding generous people who care about hungry kids, and figuring out how to get food to them.” Gina Gabel said.
The Youth Council was brought to expose high school students to greater global issues and give them leadership opportunities within their efforts.
“The youth community is part of what drives Thrive,” Gina Gabel said. “We’re trying to build a community of young philanthropic leaders.”
Thrive Global’s website states, “At Thrive, we cultivate, Clarity, Community, and Care.” Its values demonstrate its straightforward, yet impactful mission.
Lucy Gabel and the council members are vigorously involved in spreading awareness of their message.
“The Youth Council is really important because it is our next chapter of growth,” Gina Gabel said. “I’m hoping some of the members grow their way onto our Board of Directors one day and lead the organization at the highest level.”
