By Thomas Gala-Garza
Our Project
FeelGood is the youth engagement program of The Hunger Project, where we create our own
social enterprise to fundraise on the University of Michigan college campus. Our project –
FeelGood Care Packages – is made of themed boxes (Baked goods and movie night) sold
during the final exam season. To help ease students’ stress during this busy time of studying,
family, friends, and the students themselves can purchase these care packages to make their
day just a bit brighter and gain a sense of comfort. Along with this, 100% of the revenue made
from sales is invested into The Hunger Project to further their goal of sustainably creating a
world without hunger. The results of our project followed our goals, and we were able to raise
over $1300 for this cause!
Challenges Faced
During the curation and execution of the care package process in previous years and again
this year, we faced the ongoing challenge of advertising. As a relatively smaller club, our reach
is limited unless we have access to larger platforms with established audiences. While we’ve
previously explored different strategies, this year we expanded our efforts by advertising in
various Facebook groups to reach parents and by reaching out to MFamily to share
information with parents through their portal. As a result, we were able to reach a wider
audience and fundraise more than in previous years.
Leadership Development
FeelGood and its initiatives embody the value of leadership. Our members embrace social
responsibility and engage as global citizens, participating in service-based leadership that
fosters personal growth within a cross-cultural context. Within the club, students lead a social
enterprise, developing business-oriented skills through hands-on experience. The care
package project strengthens ties within Ann Arbor, connecting students, families, and the
broader community, while our support for The Hunger Project extends our impact on a global
scale. Through these efforts, students are empowered to create meaningful change both
locally and internationally.
Beyond individual leadership roles, we operate as a cohesive team, meeting regularly to
cultivate collaboration and strategize new initiatives, reflecting the BLI habit of “Build a Team.”
We intentionally practice “Pause and Reflect” by setting aside time to evaluate our operations
and learn from past experiences. Finally, by embracing the habit of “Collect, Combine, Create,”
we gather feedback from both general and board members to drive meaningful, lasting change
through shared action.
Future Application
For future application, we plan to build on our experiences from both previous years and this
year, continuously growing as a team and as leaders. Since our Care Package project takes
place at least twice during the academic year, once each semester, we strive to refine our
social enterprise model with every iteration. This year, we expanded our outreach by
connecting with MFamily and partnering with more businesses around Ann Arbor, in addition to
advertising through parent-focused Facebook groups. These efforts helped us fundraise more
effectively and reach a wider audience. In alignment with the BLI principle of “Work to Learn,”
we view each round as a learning opportunity that shapes the next. After delivering the
packages and adjusting our approach based on the audience, we concluded with a team
reflection to review the rollout and identify areas for improvement. By gathering key takeaways
from our members and brainstorming enhancements in advertising and resource coordination,
we are positioned to further strengthen the project in the upcoming winter semester.
