Madison Reporter

Middleton Meals Matter, a nonprofit led by students at Middleton High School, has marked its first year by collecting about 58,000 pounds of food worth over $100,000 for local organizations WayForward Resources and Second Harvest Food Bank. The group was started by high school students aiming to address food insecurity in their community.

“Young people can lead change,” said Rohan Dileep, the organization's co-president and a rising senior at Middleton High School. “We started as just high schoolers with an idea, and now we’re building a network of chapters across Wisconsin and beyond.”

Over the past year, student leaders have helped establish chapters at six Dane County high schools: Waunakee High School, Edgewood High School, Val Phillips Memorial High School, Madison West High School, Sun Prairie East High School and Sun Prairie West High School. Dileep noted that additional chapters are planned.

“We are already looking ahead to expanding into neighboring states such as Minnesota and Illinois,” he said. “This is just the beginning of a movement to ensure that no family, no matter where they live, has to face hunger alone.”

The organization has also reached out to younger students in all elementary and middle schools within the Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District (MCPASD) to encourage their participation.

“We organized the Week Against Hunger initiative, which ran food drives across multiple elementary schools in our District,” Dileep said. “We also held our Halloween for Hunger and Summer Stock-Up events, where we distributed slips and paper bags to households in neighborhoods like Blackhawk, Middleton Hills, and parts of Verona, then collected donations right from their doorsteps.”

Looking ahead to next year’s activities with MCPASD students and community partners remains a priority for the group.

“Last fall, Noah Duckett, Wyatt Ehrhardt and I met with former Middleton High School alum and current State Representative Alex Joers to discuss potential legislative solutions to combat food insecurity,” Dileep said. “We also had the privilege of joining the Hunger Has No Home Here roundtable, where we spoke alongside our amazing superintendent, Dr. Dana Monogue, about the urgent need for action in our community.”

The group's work was recognized through a $3,000 grant awarded by By Youth, For Youth.

For 2025-2026 school year plans include more than just gathering food donations. “We’re also seeking new opportunities to connect with people and spread awareness. Raising awareness is just as crucial as raising food in the fight against food insecurity,” Dileep said.

The leadership team for next year includes seniors Rohan Dileep (Co-President), Beatrice Norman (Co-President), Luke Weiss (Volunteer Coordinator), Inyiaan Karthikeyan (Treasurer/Secretary); juniors Brooke Lister (Social Media/Outreach Coordinator), Ziva Gibson (Junior Representative); sophomores Eli Ehrhardt (Sophomore Representative) and Luke Strasia (Director of Chapter Sustainability).

Those interested can follow Middleton Meals Matter on Instagram for updates on future events or ways to support their efforts.