At Heartitude, we often say that you don’t need a grand stage to make a difference—you just need an open heart and the willingness to act. But sometimes, we come across stories so powerful, so full of genuine heart, that we have to stop and applaud.
This week, Hormel Foods announced their 2025 Class of 10 Under 20 Food Heroes, and if you’ve been looking for a reason to believe in the future, this is it. These aren’t just students; they are compassionate leaders who looked at the world, saw a need, and decided to pour their energy into fixing it. They are living examples of what it means to “Go Give It.”
Compassion in Action
What makes this group so special isn’t just their age—it’s their empathy. We talk a lot about the “ripple effect” of kindness here, and these young changemakers are creating waves that reach thousands of people (and even pollinators!).
Take Adam Belouad, for example. He started a simple weekly tradition of cooking warm meals for a local homeless shelter with friends. That small act of Heartitude has now exploded into a global movement, serving over 220,000 meals. Or look at Chris Matthews, who channeled his own family’s grief into Blankies 4 My Buddies, wrapping those facing illness and food insecurity in warmth and love.
This is the essence of Heartitude: taking a moment of personal connection and expanding it to embrace a community.
Innovating with Empathy
Whether it’s Atreya Manaswi using science to protect honeybees (because even the smallest creatures need our care) or Angelina Xu & Advika Agarwal fighting for composting in schools to tackle food waste and hunger simultaneously, these heroes prove that “smart” and “kind” go hand in hand.
We are also deeply moved by stories like Laura Kopec’s Feeding the Fosters, which provides not just meals, but dignity and special experiences to foster children, and Ryan Gustis, who hand-delivers backpacks of essentials to the homeless. They are reminding us that every human being deserves to be seen and valued.
A Lesson for Us All
Hormel Foods is bringing these young leaders to their headquarters to mentor them, which is a wonderful example of a business operating with Heartitude—investing in the next generation of kindness.
But the real lesson here is for us. You don’t have to wait until you’re “old enough” or “established enough” to change the world. Ali Muzik, Bella Brown, Bruce Matos, Hunter Guthrie—they all started right where they were, with what they had.
Let their stories inspire you today. Look around your own community. Where can you offer a helping hand? Where can you show a little more patience, a little more love, a little more Heartitude?
These 10 Under 20 heroes have set the bar high. Now, it’s our turn to follow their lead.
Go Give It.