New We Raise Emerging Leader Grant Supports “Thy Kingdom Crumb”

Itasca, IL – We Raise Foundation recently awarded a $15,000 Emerging Leader Grant to Mr. Zach Wentz, executive director of the AO1 Foundation in Zionsville, Ind. Emerging Leader Grants are an investment in the development of rising nonprofit professionals at Christian organizations who are leading new programs at the intersection of poverty, violence, and inequality.

Wentz receives $15,000 over two years with $10,000 supporting AO1’s “Thy Kingdom Crumb” mobile food truck and $5,000 supporting leadership development. This leadership development includes attendance at a Leadership Fundamentals Course through The Center for Creative Leadership; attendance at the Global Leadership Summit through satellite locations; and individualized leadership coaching.

“Thy Kingdom Crumb, a program of the AO1 Foundation, demonstrates the love of God by uplifting communities as they provide free, healthy food to neighborhoods that have largely been ignored,” said Paul Miles, president and CEO of We Raise Foundation. “Food deserts are a significant obstacle to health, employment, and life expectancy. The program envisioned by Carson Wentz and led by Zach Wentz is inspiring and worthy of We Raise’s investment. We hope this represents the start of a very long relationship.”

Leader Profile:
Zach Wentz has served as the executive director of the AO1 Foundation since it launched in 2017. In this role, he is responsible for providing leadership and assisting with fundraising to ensure the mission of the foundation is carried out through its various initiatives. After graduating from North Dakota State University (NDSU) in Fargo, N.D., in 2012, Wentz became the Volunteer Assistant Coach for the NDSU baseball program while pursuing his master’s degree in administration, which he would later earn in 2016. He moved to Bismarck, N.D., in the fall of 2013 and served as a teacher and football coach at Century and Legacy High School for three years. After his brother, Carson, was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2016 National Football League Draft, Wentz and his wife, Andie, decided to move to Philadelphia to support him. Following his first professional season, Carson knew he wanted to use the platform the Lord has given him to serve others and the AO1 Foundation was born.

Project Summary:
Founded in 2018 in Philadelphia and expanded to Indianapolis in 2021, Thy Kingdom Crumb (TKC) is a mobile food truck that exists to “Demonstrate the love of God and to infuse His hope by feeding all people and uplifting communities.” Through the distribution of free, high-quality meals in food desert areas, TKC is meeting people exactly where they live, combating a major issue facing many food-insecure individuals – a lack of transportation. At each outreach, TKC has a team of volunteers present to greet guests, pray with and encourage them, answer any questions, and create an overall welcoming atmosphere. The team also distributes free spiritual resources to help individuals cultivate a healthy relationship with Christ. In 2023, TKC hosted 68 outreaches in Indianapolis and served over 11,200 free meals. In 2024, they have over 70 outreaches scheduled and will serve over 11,500 meals.

“Thy Kingdom Crumb is honored to be the recipient of a We Raise Foundation Emerging Leader Grant,” said Wentz. “Through food distribution and community outreach, we know that this grant will enable us to impact more individuals and families throughout Marion County. This grant only solidifies our belief that we have been called to bring food, hope, prayer, joy, and light into at-risk neighborhoods throughout Indianapolis.”

Proposals for the Emerging Leader Grant Program are accepted twice a year. The next deadline is September 30, 2024 with grants awarded in November. For more information regarding grant requests, please visit the website at weraise.org/emergingleadergrants.

About We Raise Foundation
Motivated by the belief that freedom is grace in action (Galatians 5:1a), We Raise Foundation partners with Christian nonprofit organizations and emerging leaders working at the intersection of poverty, violence, and inequality. We have a preference for funding solutions within the areas of education, workforce development, and criminal justice and employ a unique approach to our investing by coupling program funding with a variety of robust value-added services that empower our grantees to grow their solutions. As a result of these value-added services, every $1 that donors invest through We Raise multiplies into more than double the benefit to the organizations we support. To learn more, please visit weraise.org. You can also find We Raise on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.