There are only five days until Food for Friends.

Five days until Central Riverside Park fills with volunteers, community partners, families, and neighbors gathering around tables for a free spaghetti dinner.

Five days until Melody Ellis (10) and Kaylee Weissinger (11) see months of hard work come to life.

As their mentor, I don’t think I’ve ever been more excited for an event.

When this journey began in early May through the National Youth Leadership Council’s Youth as Solutions 9/11 Day Peacemaking Cohort, none of us knew exactly where it would lead.

We knew the girls would spend the summer researching hunger in our community.

We knew they would interview local organizations.

We knew they would be challenged to create a service project.

Everything else was still unwritten.

Over the past several months, I’ve had the privilege of watching two curious fifth graders grow into thoughtful young leaders.

They asked difficult questions.

They listened far more than they talked.

They discovered that hunger isn’t always visible, that asking for help can be incredibly difficult, and that solving community problems requires many people working together.

Then they got to work.

They designed Food for Friends.

They built a budget.

They raised the support needed to bring their vision to life.

They interviewed community leaders, wrote press releases, spoke with local media, created marketing materials, and even published their own children’s book, First Time Fears, to help reduce the stigma surrounding food insecurity.

Just this week, they made another decision that perfectly reflects the kind of leaders they are becoming.

They chose to donate 100% of the proceeds from First Time Fears to The Lord’s Diner and the Kansas Food Bank so their project can continue making a difference long after September 7.

That wasn’t my idea.

It was theirs.

One of the most rewarding parts of this journey has been watching our community rally around these two young leaders.

Organizations welcomed them for interviews.

Community leaders shared their knowledge.

Businesses donated supplies and services.

Volunteers stepped forward to help.

Neighbors contributed financially because they believed in the girls’ vision.

Every act of generosity has sent the same message.

“We believe in you.”

As a mentor, that’s been one of the greatest gifts of this experience.

My role has never been to hand Melody and Kaylee a finished project or tell them exactly what to do.

It has been to introduce new concepts, ask good questions, and give them the space to make real decisions.

Sometimes those decisions worked the first time.

Sometimes they didn’t.

Every one of them became a lesson.

Watching the girls solve problems, revise plans, celebrate victories, and overcome challenges has reminded me why authentic learning experiences matter so much.

Leadership isn’t something children prepare for someday.

It’s something they practice today.

In five days, hundreds of people will experience Food for Friends.

They’ll enjoy a meal.

They’ll decorate community quilt squares.

They’ll connect with local resources.

Many of them will take home a copy of First Time Fears.

I hope they leave encouraged.

But I also hope they leave with something else.

I hope they leave believing what I’ve had the privilege of watching all summer.

Children are capable of extraordinary things when we trust them with meaningful work.

Thank you to every organization, business, volunteer, donor, and community member who has encouraged Melody and Kaylee along the way.

You haven’t just supported an event.

You’ve invested in two young leaders who are already making a difference.

And in five short days, our community gets to experience the incredible project they’ve built together.