Daniel and Liam Wellisch, twin brothers and students at Harrison High School in Westchester, are the founders of the Desert Bloom Foundation, a youth-led nonprofit that brings fresh, hot meals to neighbors in Westchester’s food deserts.
The brothers source and fund the food themselves, pack meals by hand and deliver them in person.
Daniel and Liam Wellisch of Desert Bloom visited the Boys & Girls Club of Greenwich in October. Contributed photo
Daniel and Liam Wellisch of Desert Bloom visited the Boys & Girls Club of Greenwich in October. Contributed photo
Daniel and Liam Wellisch of Desert Bloom visited the Boys & Girls Club of Greenwich in October. Contributed photo
The Boys & Girls Club of Greenwich is one of Desert Bloom’s two largest partners. The brothers volunteer at the Club, where they help feed members and spend time with them, and in October Daniel Wellisch spoke at the Club about Desert Bloom’s work.
Desert Bloom’s largest partner is the Community Service Associates soup kitchen in Mount Vernon, New York, a city Feeding Westchester ranks among the areas of the county with the highest unmet hunger need. Through that partnership, Desert Bloom has served more than 500 people. Its most recent distribution served 94 people, and the group estimates that about $250 feeds 100.
“A desert is a place where good food doesn’t grow, so we bring the bloom to it,” said Daniel and Liam Wellisch.
Originally launched as Snacks For Kids By Kids, the organization has grown to include other high school volunteers who help plan and run its events. The brothers are also drafting a policy brief on food deserts in Westchester County. Both are Borlaug Scholars, named by the World Food Prize Foundation for research on food security.
Desert Bloom Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Information on donating, volunteering and partnering is available here.