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Ava Bunao
Troy
Hero Story
Athens High School freshman student Ava Bunao has friends and family members with severe food allergies and wanted to make sure specialty foods were available to all through the Troy Schools food pantry at Morse Elementary.
"I know many people with severe food allergies so I’ve seen the importance of getting the type of food you need when you have food sensitivities. What happens when you need food and the right kinds aren't available?"
Ava answered that question by stepping up and starting a program, inspired by a similar program run by her cousin with multiple severe food allergies, that combined her love of baking with her mission to provide money and goods to the Pantry. To raise the money to fund her “Macarons for Morse” project, Ava baked and sold macaron cookies and used the proceeds to purchase the food for the pantry.
"My mom shared my idea (and my macarons) with her friends, and the idea just took off." And take off it did, spreading by word of mouth, resulting in orders from Troy, Oakland County, and even around the country!
Word of Ava's mission has spread, and since December 2020 Ava has baked, sold, shopped, and made over a dozen deliveries of Gluten/Allergy Free friendly food. Especially since COVID, more families have been relying on the Morse Food Pantry to help keep food on the table and make ends meet.
"The more I learned about the importance of food-sensitive goods and supplies, the more I realized how desperately it was needed," she said.
Many times specialty foods are even more expensive than the regular off-the-shelf versions of products, making feeding folks with allergies even more challenging. Bunao feels proud that she is not only able to use her creative cooking and baking talents but her shopping smarts to stretch her money. Ava is even pursuing relationships with local grocery stores like Kroger and Aldi, to see if they will partner with her in securing even more donations “Now I can focus on specialty foods, like the cases of gluten-free Progresso soups I’ve purchased in addition to potato casseroles, cereals, beans, baking mixes, and snacks.” Ava has also allocated some of her proceeds to purchasing hand sanitizer and wipes, as flu season is upon us.
Ava is happy she is able to give back her talent and time to the community because of her French Macarons supporters.
“It is fun to see the kids when I make my deliveries, who love seeing a high schooler visit their school."
Ava hopes that families love the variety of foods they can now get at the TSD Food Pantry, and she plans to continue her mission, teaching peers and even her younger sisters how to make, bake, shop, and deliver, in order to keep her program going throughout the rest of her high school years and beyond.
"I am so proud to know Ava and to witness her selfless support for folks who might be otherwise overlooked, especially during COVID when our Food Pantry was being utilized so heavily by various publics in our community," said an administrator at Troy Schools. "She took a hobby and talent and insightfully turned it into something really special that has helped many people. She is the definition of a Youth Hero."
Ava Bunao
Troy
Hero Story
Athens High School freshman student Ava Bunao has friends and family members with severe food allergies and wanted to make sure specialty foods were available to all through the Troy Schools food pantry at Morse Elementary.
"I know many people with severe food allergies so I’ve seen the importance of getting the type of food you need when you have food sensitivities. What happens when you need food and the right kinds aren't available?"
Ava answered that question by stepping up and starting a program, inspired by a similar program run by her cousin with multiple severe food allergies, that combined her love of baking with her mission to provide money and goods to the Pantry. To raise the money to fund her “Macarons for Morse” project, Ava baked and sold macaron cookies and used the proceeds to purchase the food for the pantry.
"My mom shared my idea (and my macarons) with her friends, and the idea just took off." And take off it did, spreading by word of mouth, resulting in orders from Troy, Oakland County, and even around the country!
Word of Ava's mission has spread, and since December 2020 Ava has baked, sold, shopped, and made over a dozen deliveries of Gluten/Allergy Free friendly food. Especially since COVID, more families have been relying on the Morse Food Pantry to help keep food on the table and make ends meet.
"The more I learned about the importance of food-sensitive goods and supplies, the more I realized how desperately it was needed," she said.
Many times specialty foods are even more expensive than the regular off-the-shelf versions of products, making feeding folks with allergies even more challenging. Bunao feels proud that she is not only able to use her creative cooking and baking talents but her shopping smarts to stretch her money. Ava is even pursuing relationships with local grocery stores like Kroger and Aldi, to see if they will partner with her in securing even more donations “Now I can focus on specialty foods, like the cases of gluten-free Progresso soups I’ve purchased in addition to potato casseroles, cereals, beans, baking mixes, and snacks.” Ava has also allocated some of her proceeds to purchasing hand sanitizer and wipes, as flu season is upon us.
Ava is happy she is able to give back her talent and time to the community because of her French Macarons supporters.
“It is fun to see the kids when I make my deliveries, who love seeing a high schooler visit their school."
Ava hopes that families love the variety of foods they can now get at the TSD Food Pantry, and she plans to continue her mission, teaching peers and even her younger sisters how to make, bake, shop, and deliver, in order to keep her program going throughout the rest of her high school years and beyond.
"I am so proud to know Ava and to witness her selfless support for folks who might be otherwise overlooked, especially during COVID when our Food Pantry was being utilized so heavily by various publics in our community," said an administrator at Troy Schools. "She took a hobby and talent and insightfully turned it into something really special that has helped many people. She is the definition of a Youth Hero."