What does Generation Alive require of school staff in order to bring in a program?
We ask that each school provide a staff liaison that will serve as our contact for any scheduling or logistical details. It is also expected that this person will be excited to co-lead the Action Team with a Generation Alive team member. Action Teams involve about 10-20 students, meet once a week (traditionally during lunch) and walk-through curriculum and activities highlighting themes of leadership and social responsibility. The most successful programs are often ones where school staff is engaged and enthusiastic about motivating its students to fundraise.
How much money does my school need to fundraise?
This will depend on how many students are participating and your fundraising goal. We usually encourage schools of several hundred students to set a goal of $2,500 in order to pack 10,000 meals. There are lots of creative ways to fundraise and we’ll be happy to share them with you!
What amount of funds raised goes towards the meals?
Of the $0.25 cents raised for each meal, $0.23 goes to the actual food supplies and the other $0.02 will go to equipment costs necessary to pack the meals (bins, funnels, scales, sealers and so forth). Every penny raised goes back to the students’ service project!
What is required of a student who wants to be on a Generation Alive Action Team?
Action Team members commit to attending 20-30 minute weekly meetings; they take an active and enthusiastic role in the assembly, fundraising campaign and food packing event for their peers; and they commit to completing a minimum of two hours of service outside of team time, which we call the Compassion Challenge. (link that clicks to Compassion Challenge on the “What We Do” page)
How far will the Generation Alive team travel to put on a program?
Currently, our programs are focused in the greater Spokane area (within about a 25 mile radius), as that is where our full time staff is located. We also travel one or two times a year to run programs in the San Francisco Bay Area. Please get in touch with us if you have further questions about our availability.
How do I get a Generation Alive program into my school or organization?
If you are a parent, a teacher, or a student, then you have the power to bring Generation Alive to your community. Contact our program staff to set up an initial meeting or click here to view our program welcome packets.
How many students can be involved in a program?
We have done events with as few as 50 participants and as many as 1,000. Ultimately, it’s up to the students participating to fundraise an appropriate amount of money to create an experience; so the more people participating, the more money will need to be raised. We can accommodate up to 240 people in one room per session, but are able to special order additional equipment if necessary.
Our Freedom Bag Packing event typically works better with a classroom-sized group of students.
How is the money counted and collected?
A school liaison will oversee the counting of money each week during the fundraising season. Generation Alive is happy to provide schools a digital coin counter to speed up the process. During initial meetings, the Generation Alive staff and school liaison will set up a consistent time for a GA team member to come pick up the pre-counted money each week.
What is included in the meals and where do they go after they are packed at a school?
Each meal pouch has six servings in it with all of the essential nutrients: rice (carbohydrates), soy (protein), dried vegetables and vitamins. The meals expire three years from the date they are packed. Most meals packed in Spokane will go to Second Harvest Food Bank, but we always allow schools the option to specify a food bank or organization they would like to receive them. We generally do not ship food internationally.
Does Generation Alive need volunteers for food-packing events?
We pride ourselves on empowering youth to do most of the legwork. However, we always love having a couple of adult volunteers to help with some of the heavy lifting (50 lb. bags of both rice and soy). If you are interested in volunteering with Generation Alive, visit our volunteer page. (need volunteer info pdf)
Is Generation Alive a faith-based organization?
Yes, however there is zero religious language or mention of faith in our school-based programs. We value our partnerships with schools and are 100% school safe, believing that our faith is best lived through our actions and service in the community.
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Is our mission your mission?
Working at GA is not just a job, it’s a lifestyle. We strive to be the best at what we do, focused on creating a collaborative culture where servant leadership is everything. Join the team.