The $100 Solution is a group project I am a part of for my Team and Organizational Leadership class in the Agriculture Department. This project began at the beginning of the semester and I was randomly paced in a group with 4 boys who immediately nominated me as the team leader. I was a little put-out at first, but I soon realized how much I actually enjoyed being the leader by delegating tasks, contacting people and organizing meetings. We agreed for our project to be a nonperishable food donation box that we would be set up at Harps Foods. We partnered with Ray of Hope Food Pantry and they will pick up the donations on a weekly or bi-weekly basis.
The $100 solution provides students with the knowledge, skills and funds of exactly 100 dollars to go into communities and make a sustainable difference. We used the five pillars as a basis for our project. These pillars include: 
- Partnership
- Reciprocity
- Capacity Building
- Sustainability
- Reflection
Through partnering with Ray of Hope Food Pantry we are able to greater expand our outreach in the community. Ray of Hope already provides meals for people the hungry and they are in need of more food. We personally saw their shelves were running low and we hope our food donation box will be able to help stock their shelves so they can help as many people as possible. This follows the second pillar reciprocity by our project being beneficial to the community.
The third pillar of The $100 Solution is capacity building which focuses on bringing people together from different areas of the community to become self-sufficient.Our box provides a permanent place for people to bring donations rather than in the holiday seasons.
The fourth pillar is sustainability which places emphasis on long-term solutions that will ensure our project can be continued. Our food donation box will continue to thrive as long as Ray of Hope continues to pick up the donations and distribute them to the needy. There will always be less fortunate members of the community so project provides an ongoing bandage to a creation long problem.
The fifth pillar is reflection which helps us look back on the impact the project made on each of our lives and the community. This project has already opened us up to members of the community and has provided life long, beneficial contacts. Beyond the class we can see the work and effort we put into this project and be proud of what we have accomplished, and the effect it has on the community years down the road.
Homegrown Harper 