FEATURES
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GIVING BACK Addison Moore ’23 started Up Next, a student-led organization, in 2021 to relieve food insecurity while teaching the fundamentals of entrepreneurialism.
T X E N UP
Moore strives to give more with organization, Up Next Lucy Dockter ’23 News Editor
E
ver since he was young, Addison Moore ’23 strove to give back to those around him. Growing up on the
Upper East Side of Manhattan, he always put money in the cups of people living on the streets. So, when he moved to Westport, he founded Up Next to help reduce food insecurity in Connecticut. Up Next consists of a group of students who organize fundraising events and donate all proceeds to charities and local food banks. In the past few months alone, they have raised over $7000. The organization is completely student run, with only
minimal guidance from adults when absolutely necessary. “We overall aim to try and relieve food insecurity,” Moore said. “What we’re really focusing on right now is more boots on the ground type stuff.” After being a part of multiple teen councils in Westport, Moore discovered a gap between organizations that teach charitable initiatives and organizations that teach entrepreneurialism. Up Next was designed
to bridge that gap and be a creative space where teens can put on events, programs and ventures to reduce food insecurity. “I realized that there was [an] intersection between entrepreneurialism and community-based service,” Moore said. “Because that was a gap that wasn’t filled, I thought, ‘Hey, you know what? Why not try and fill it?’ And why not try to fill it in a creative way by creating a teen organization that,
