2023 Award Recipient
JakeHammerman
Project Impactful Tennis
Project Impactful Tennis
Jake saw the difficulties that seniors in his family faced and wanted to find a way to support elders. He sought volunteer opportunities but was turned away because of his age. Knowing that local nonprofits need financial support, Jake saw a chance to use his passion for tennis to raise funds to support the aging population. He founded Impactful Tennis, which provides tennis lessons for young kids to raise money for Meals on Wheels, aiding homebound and vulnerable seniors in Contra Costa County.
Since its founding in 2020, Impactful Tennis has registered nearly 400 students for tennis lessons and donated upwards of $35,000 to Meals on Wheels. Impactful Tennis’ donations have greatly expanded his local Meals on Wheels’ capacity to provide more meals for more seniors at a critical time, including introducing a new Breakfast Bag pilot program, which allows two meals to be delivered daily to seniors.
Impactful Tennis provides tennis lessons to local children to raise funds for Meals on Wheels, which addresses hunger and isolation among seniors. The local Meals on Wheels program experienced a 40 percent increase in need due to the pandemic, making the work of Impactful Tennis all the more important. Led by Jake and a team of high school tennis players, Impactful Tennis spends each summer imparting passion for the sport, keeping local kids active, and using lesson fees to support seniors in need.
