Serving up innovation

Recent Bellaire High School graduate Shirley Zhu – one of nine impressive valedictorians from the BHS Class of 2021, along with her twin sister, Annie – received the Stephen J. Brady Stop Hunger Scholarship from Sodexo for her commitment to combating hunger in Houston. Shirley has volunteered 550 hours with local organizations like Fresh Hub, Second Servings, and the Houston Food Bank. As Shirley volunteered to help the community rebuild after Hurricane Harvey, she witnessed how much food was getting wasted, and she realized that many families were living in food deserts. She co-founded Fresh Hub, an organization that rescues unsold food and redistributes it to underserved families. Shirley organized more than 19 food-distribution events that served more than 1,620 people, rescuing 12,100 pounds of food in just two years. In addition, she created an app to promote the events and share healthy recipes. Scholarship winners receive a $5,000 scholarship and a $5,000 grant for their hunger-related charity; Shirley chose Second Servings of Houston to be the recipient of the grant. In the fall, Shirley will continue her education at Harvard, where she will concentrate on computer science and coding for social good.

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