US teen launches game-changing initiative that started as school project: 'It was a bigger issue than I initially thought'

While some teens spend their summers scrolling or streaming, Shrusti Amula is leading a movement to stop food waste — and helping her community in the process.

At just 13 years old, the Maryland student launched the Rise N Shine Foundation, a nonprofit focused on reducing food waste and improving food access through recovery, redistribution, and composting programs.

What began as a middle school project has grown into an award-winning initiative supporting food recovery efforts in 45 Montgomery County schools and composting programs in 15 more.

"It was a bigger issue than I initially thought," Amula told The Chronicle of Philanthropy.

Amula's foundation addresses a major challenge: The U.S. wastes nearly 40% of its food supply each year, much of it still edible, even as families across the country experience food insecurity.

By recovering and redistributing surplus food, Rise N Shine helps get nutritious meals to people who need them — cutting down on hunger while preventing perfectly good food from ending up in landfills, where it would generate methane, a harmful planet-warming gas. The composting programs also give leftover food a second life — turning scraps into healthy soil that can nourish gardens and other green spaces.

Amula's work has earned widespread recognition. In 2025, she received a Stephen J. Brady Stop Hunger Scholarship from Sodexo. Local, national, and international organizations have celebrated her efforts — she was named one of L'Oréal's Women of Worth, earned the George H.W. Bush Points of Light Award for service, and received the EPA's President's Environmental Youth Award.

Rise N Shine continues to grow, educating students on sustainable practices and showing how small steps — such as saving uneaten food and separating compost — can make a big difference.

"Being a part of this has been so impactful," Amula wrote on LinkedIn. "I am excited for our next steps and all that we will accomplish in the future!"

Want to make a difference in your own town? Follow Amula's lead and take local action in your community — every small step counts.

If you compost your food scraps, what's your primary motivation? Improving my garden's soil 🌱 Saving money on fertilizer 💰 Helping the planet 🌎 I don't compost 🚫 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

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