Iris Korn: A True All-Star in the Fight Against Hunger & Food Waste
Fifteen-year-old Iris Korn has transformed volunteer hours into meaningful action, inspiring her family and community through her work at Feeding San Diego. What began as a school requirement evolved into a weekly family mission, involving packing and sorting thousands of meals while preventing food waste. Recognized by the Tony Gwynn Community All-Stars Award, Iris donated her $5,000 grant back to Feeding San Diego, showing that leadership, kindness, and dedication can turn small acts into lasting change.
Name: Iris Korn
Age: 15
School: Francis Parker School
City/State: San Diego, CA
A Celebration Post for a Tony Gwynn Community All-Star
How It Started
It’s a Friday evening at Feeding San Diego’s Sorrento Valley headquarters. The conveyor belt hums as boxes glide past. Fifteen-year-old Iris Korn stands shoulder-to-shoulder with her parents, Usa and Tommy, and her younger brother, Lucas. Together, they fill boxes with shelf-stable food to help local families. The Korns laugh, chat, and pass cans down the line. It’s teamwork, family time, and community service all rolled into one.
Iris first discovered Feeding San Diego when she needed to fulfill her school's volunteer hour requirement in 7th-grade. That one experience changed her life.
As she packed produce for neighbors facing hunger, she realized how something simple, like a bag of apples, a loaf of bread, or a smile, could mean everything to someone in need.
She went home that day with a new sense of purpose and convinced her family to join her on this mission to fight hunger together.
The Korn Family (from left to right: Tommy, Iris, Lucas, and Usa)
Finding Purpose Through Service
Since the spring of 2022, Iris and her family have spent most Friday evenings volunteering. They sort food, pack boxes, and help prepare distributions that reach thousands of people across San Diego County. For Iris, volunteering isn’t just a good deed, it’s a way to connect, learn, and lead.
“I’ll never forget the woman who thanked me for handing her a watermelon,” Iris shared. “She told me it had been years since she had eaten one. That moment made me realize how something so small could mean so much.”
Working side-by-side with her family, Iris has learned how rescued food can feed people while also helping the planet. By keeping surplus food out of landfills, Feeding San Diego turns potential waste into nutritious meals for families in need.
Earning the Tony Gwynn Community All-Star Award
Iris’s commitment to service caught the attention of the Tony Gwynn Community All-Star Program, which recognizes San Diego teens who make a difference in their communities. Out of many inspiring applicants in 2024, Iris was chosen as one of just nine student winners.
When she learned she had won, Iris felt both surprised and grateful. The award came with a $5,000 grant to be given to the nonprofit organization of each winner’s choice. For Iris, the decision was easy; she chose Feeding San Diego.
“I wanted the money to go right back to the place that taught me what community really means,” she said.
Her donation helps Feeding San Diego rescue and distribute food throughout the county, turning dollars into meals and expanding the reach of their hunger-relief programs. By giving her prize money back, Iris proved that her commitment goes far beyond volunteer hours, it’s about using every opportunity to make an impact.
Leading by Example
At the volunteer center, Iris helps guide new volunteers, explain the mission, and show others how to sort and pack food safely. Her parents say volunteering together has made their family closer, improved communication, and even changed how they view food at home.
“Our kids don’t waste food now because they know how precious it is,” said Tommy. “They don’t take it for granted.”
For Iris, the work is meaningful and fun. “I really like kitting,” she said. “The conveyor belt process is satisfying, and seeing all the finished boxes stacked on pallets feels amazing.”
Impact and Inspiration
From a seventh-grader volunteering for the first time to a Tony Gwynn Award winner helping fund hunger relief, Iris’s journey shows how kindness can grow into leadership. Her story proves that one person’s decision to help can spark change across an entire community.
Through every shift, smile, and box packed, Iris continues to live her mission of helping others, and she encourages everyone around her to do the same.
Hero Lessons
- Small actions add up: One volunteer shift can start something big.
- Lead by example: Inspire others through your actions.
- Share what you have: Whether it’s time, talent, or resources, giving matters.
- Keep showing up: Change happens when you make kindness a habit.
