I often hear older generations question the purpose of apps like Twitter and Instagram. Even people my age think social media is nothing but a waste of time. The Everybody Eats Foundation shows us how social media enables people to make great change in the world.
Kelvin Peña, otherwise known as @COLDGAMEKELV on Twitter, is known for his viral tweets and videos showing his journey of friendship with a group of deer in his neighborhood.
The “How”
The journey began in the summer of 2016 with deer friends Canela and Money, the first members of the “Deer Squad.” At first, Kelvin’s antics were just something that everyone could enjoy for its simple, heartwarming pleasure.
Peña, 18, first began selling clothes with the slogan “Everybody Eats” on them so he could buy healthier snacks for the deer, but when his Twitter and Instagram really started going viral, he decided he could make something bigger out of it.
Peña started the Everybody Eats Foundation just months after he first went viral. With money he gets from selling merchandise, he buys food for underprivileged communities in his home state of Pennsylvania. The foundation has also begun hosting events in New York City.
The Mission
The mission of the Everybody Eats Foundation is “to bring people together and happiness to the table.” Peña also has a personal mission to set an example to all his viewers, his peers, and inspire them to do good for their communities.
The Results
Peña regularly buys food and makes deliveries to nearby neighborhoods, buying pizza and other food for everyone who needs it.
For Thanksgiving, the Everybody Eats Foundation raised enough money to give Thanksgiving meals to over 30 families and donate 60 turkeys to local churches.
This Christmas, Peña is hosting a holiday event where he’s giving food and toys to children whose families can’t afford them.
It’s not just the rich and famous who can enact change for the greater good. People from humble beginnings like Kelvin Peña can make the world a better place as long as they have a good heart and the help of social media.