Today we’d like to introduce you to Kiara LaGuerre-Latney and Tova Kleinschmidt.
Thanks for sharing your story with us, Kiara and Tova. So, let’s start at the beginning, and we can move on from there.
Tova and I met each other in the sixth grade. At the age of eleven, like most girls, we often talked about our plans and what we wanted to do when we got older. Both of us mutually wanted to shake the world and make a positive impact on our communities. Tova expressed the idea of owning a homeless shelter. The idea of owning a homeless shelter became the spark of inspiration that manifested in our lives.
Both Tova and I were raised by a single mother in a home with our siblings. In high school, we became homeless and had to depend on our community, friends, and each other, but that did not deter us from our goals. Tova left to join the military in 2017, the same year I started college in Atlanta, Georgia.
After seeing large amounts of food wasted in the dining hall at school and the number of those in need living on the streets of Atlanta, I wanted to put the extra food to good use by feeding those in need around Atlanta.
Instead, we got a group of friends to help raise money to provide meals for those in need. In two months, we were able to feed over 300 people and families as well as give out over 100 hats, gloves, and toiletries to men and women. We strive to help others and build into the community that once invested in us. We look to expand to the major cities, small neighborhoods, and the areas that need us most to make maximum impact and change lives.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Anything worth having is worth working for, yet you have to be prepared to pay the cost. Just like many others, we do come across many obstacles. When we are faced with adversity, we find ourselves brainstorming to layout our solutions rather than focusing on the problem. With being a nonprofit, our funds come from donations. We are continually trying to find new ways to touch a broader base of people who are willing to get involved and make an impact.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Pass The Plate story. Tell us more about your organization.
Pass The Plate is a 501 c3 Nonprofit Organization that is a resource for the community. We provide meals, clothes, and school supplies to help bring the community closer together. We get into the community to hand out meals to those who do not have access to shelters. By doing this, we are able to impact a lot of people who often feel alone, forgotten, or an outcast to society.
I am most proud of our impact in Atlanta. We can make personal connections by physically going into the community, hearing their stories, and passing out a meal to break down the walls of judgment.
A little goes a long way. We allow many to volunteer, and it’s very beneficial to break the stigma of the population we serve. Many people will have misconceptions about them being rude, ungrateful, or lazy. Pass The Plate allows many to meet them, hear their story, and pass out a meal to breakdown the walls of judgment to make room for love and understanding.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I don’t believe in luck, but I do believe that everything happens for a reason, and faith without good works is dead. Time and time again, we put in the work. Most times, putting in the work means finding more donors, getting more volunteers, early mornings, late nights, doing research, networking, and many more. We plan to expand in 2020 to South Carolina and open a homeless shelter as well as launch a couple more campaigns to help people and families in other cities. We notice issues in our community and, both, Tova and I sit down to find solutions to improve situations and people’s lives.
Pricing:
- Pass The Plate Black Sweatsuit- $70
- Pass The Plate Grey Hoodie- $45
- Pass The Plate Black Hoodie- $45
- Pass The Plate Black Sweatpants- $35
- Pass The Plate Orange T-shirt- $25
Contact Info:
- Website: https://passtheplateatl.org/
- Phone: 2403003257
- Email: info@passtheplateatl.org
- Instagram: @passtheplateatl
- Facebook: @passtheplateatl
- Other: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pass-the-plate-atl-099590191
Image Credit:
Flight9Beyond by Arion Kidd-Weeks
+vEVEbz by Timmy Thongkham
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