Upper St. Clair High School senior Isaac Bernstein has dressed up as the Grinch to read to kids for Christmas and portrayed the Easter bunny for egg hunts to raise funds for the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank through his Plates for Pitt organization. Now he’s taken his cause to the rink.
For the second year, the 18-year-old and his charitable organization sponsored the Hockey Fights Hunger three-on-three inline hockey tournament.
On Nov. 25, the event drew 30 middle school, high school and adult teams comprised of more than 130 players to the Robert Morris University Island Sports Center in Neville Island while raising $12,000.
Besides playing, Bernstein recruited referees and scorekeepers, created a randomized schedule, developed a skills competition, designed and purchased trophies and worked with rink management to secure rink time.
“My Easter Bunny and Grinch seasons tend to raise between $5,000 and $10,000 a season, so this tournament raising $12,000 was definitely incredible to see,” Bernstein said.
Jennifer Zgurich, food bank director of corporate and community giving, said Bernstein is motivated to make a difference.
“As a high school student living in our food bank's service area, Isaac recognized the difficult realities around him during the COVID pandemic,” Zgurich said.
“"What is most inspiring about Isaac is that he didn't just fundraise while the need during the pandemic was center stage. He understands the need is still there and continues to support our neighbors experiencing hunger.
“It is rare to find a high school student who has empathy toward people he does not know and a crisis he may not have firsthand experience with. Once he learned that financial contributions to the food bank are more helpful than a food drive, he developed creative ways to raise donations.”
In total, Bernstein has raised more than $42,000 for the food bank in Duquesne, which provides more than 126,000 meals to children, families and seniors in its 11-county service area.
In his various roles, Bernstein has visited more than 550 homes, hid more than 4,000 eggs and played host to more than 320 hockey players over two tournaments.
According to Feeding America's Map the Meal Gap, an annual in-depth study of hunger, about one in 10 people in the food bank's service area is living with food insecurity, which the U.S. Department of Agriculture defines as a lack of consistent access to enough food for every person in a household to live an active, healthy life.
In 2022, 12.8% of U.S. households were food insecure at least some time during the year, according to the USDA's Economic Research Service.
Bernstein, who plans to attend Princeton or Brown University to study either international relations or applied psychology and human development, expects the program to continue after he graduates from high school.
“I hope to expand in the coming years,” he said. “Service will long be a part of my journey and identity.
“I have a desire to help others, whether it is through tutoring, coaching or teaching. If I have the potential to create an impact, I will work tirelessly.”
Bernstein also plans to attend law school, which he expects will give him a greater platform.
“Advocacy is a huge passion of mine,” he said. “Serving as a voice for those who are often overlooked and don't have one is an honor I would appreciate each moment as an attorney.”
He considers Plates for Pitt not just an organization he runs, but a vision.
“I aim to serve as an example of an individual who passionately pursues a goal while fostering meaningful impacts, memories and conversations,” he said.
For more on Plates for Pitt, go to platesforpitt.org.
First Published: December 6, 2023, 10:30 a.m.
Updated: December 6, 2023, 6:18 p.m.
