Updates

Los Altos Town Crier Article

Project Handover, August

Hi All,

I hope this message finds you well! I’m incredibly excited and proud to share that my Eagle Scout project is officially complete.

On Monday, Aug 4, David from Martha’s Kitchen came by to pick up the converted school bus that so many of you helped bring to life. While this marks the end of the project phase, it truly marks the beginning of the impact this mobile food pantry will have in our community.

After passing final inspection, the bus will be used to deliver food and groceries to neighborhoods and housing areas that don’t have access to traditional soup kitchens. This mobile solution will allow Martha’s Kitchen to expand its reach, and connect with communities that might otherwise go without. Martha’s is currently in the midst of moving to a newer, larger facility. As the kitchen itself will take a while to move, the bus will also be used to transport cooked meals between the two facilities. 

This project has been an incredible journey from researching vehicle conversions, budgeting and fundraising, to purchasing and renovating the bus, planning the floor map, and finally leading volunteers through stripping seats, building, and bolting everything into place. It has taken nearly a year to bring this idea to reality, and I’ve learned more than I ever imagined- not just about project management, tools, and logistics, but about the power of community and service.

I’m deeply grateful for the outpouring of support I’ve received throughout this process. Whether you donated funds, materials, tools, or your time, or simply encouraged me along the way, thank you. Your belief in this project and me made all the difference. 

Warmly,
Sanay Jiandani

Workday 3, June 29th

Hi All,

I hope you are doing well. I would like to give a huge thanks to Mr. Scholl, Mr. Lum, Edward, Mr. O’Donnell, Brady, Mason, Apurva, Sahana, and my parents for helping me with my Eagle Project. I would like to give a special thank you to Rahul, Jack, Rocco, and Mrs. Suppiah, who helped me for both workdays. With all the help, we were able to assemble the cabinets, shelves, and cooler holders and get it all mounted to the bus. It took many trips to the hardware store, many snapped tap sets, and so many stripped screws, but the heavy lifting of the project is done, and all that's left are a few final touches. Thanks again for all the help and support!

Best,

Sanay

Workday 2, June 28th

Hi All,

I hope you are well. I would like to give a huge thanks to Rahul, Harshith, Rocco, Jack, Shashi, Sudhanshu, Mr. Menon, Mr. O’Donnell, Frank, Mrs. Suppiah, and Mr. Holstien. After a long day of sanding, tapping, screwing, cutting, staining and more, we accomplished the following things: 

- Removed the heater from the floor of the bus

- Sanded and cut all the pieces of wood

- Finished building the holder for the coolers in the bus

- Raised the walls of the cabinets for the hot handlers

- Installed supporting rails

We ran into a few problems, such as wood having trouble joining, and wood not fitting the shape of the bus wall as snug as possible. We were able to overcome all of these problems and more to have an extremely productive workday. I look forward to updating you all on the progress tomorrow.

Best,

Sanay

Workday 1, June 21st

Hi,

I hope you are doing well. I am extremely excited to share the progress I have made on my Eagle Project. I would like to give a huge thank you to Aran, Akarsh, Atticus, Charlie, Ronak, AD, and Mr. O’Donnell for helping out with my eagle project. With the help of this amazing team, we were able to take out all of the seats, scrub and clean the interior and exterior of the bus, and seal up all the holes. I was also able to cut all the wood required to build all of the installations that I am putting in the bus. The next steps are to build and stain the cabinetry and shelving, and mount them to the interior of the bus. I am extremely excited about how fast we are progressing, and I cannot wait to share the work that will be completed this weekend. Please enjoy the attached picture below. Once again, thank you for all the support throughout the entire process of this journey.

Best,

Sanay

May Update

Hi All,

I wanted to take a moment to share an important milestone for my project- building a mobile pantry for Martha’s Kitchen. Each of you has lifted me through your support, encouragement, and generosity throughout the journey of my Eagle Scout project. I’m incredibly excited to share that after months of fundraising, searching, and planning, I have officially found and purchased a bus for my project! It arrived just this afternoon, and seeing it in person in front of my house was both surreal and inspiring. This moment marks the beginning of the hands-on transformation phase of the project, and I couldn’t be more thrilled.

Right now, I’m working on finalizing the layout and design of the bus interior. This includes carefully planning how to best use the space to maximize shelving, cooling, and hot drawers to transport food to those who have limited mobility, and can’t get to a soup kitchen themselves. Once that is done, I’ll begin to order the necessary materials and supplies to bring this vision to life. There’s still a lot of work ahead, but I’m excited and ready for the challenge.

Thank you again for being a part of this journey with me. I’ll continue to keep you updated as the project progresses! Whether you contributed time, resources, advice, or simply cheered me on, I truly couldn’t have made it this far without you.

Best,
Sanay

January Update

Hi All,

Happy New Year! I hope 2025 is off to a great start for you. I am sharing some exciting updates on my Eagle Scout project as I’m getting closer to the finish line.

Thanks to the incredible generosity of supporters like you, I’ve raised $8,000 of the $12,000 needed to build a mobile pantry for Martha’s Kitchen, a local soup kitchen. This project will convert a used school bus into a pantry on wheels, delivering food directly to families in need.

I’ve now begun the process of searching for the perfect bus and am on track to start work on the project this spring! It’s so exciting to see this idea come to life, and I’m incredibly grateful to everyone who has helped me get this far.

With only $4,000 left to raise, I’m reaching out to ask for your support to help me meet my goal. If you’ve already contributed, thank you again for your generosity—it has made all the difference. If you haven’t had the chance yet, I’d love for you to consider donating or sharing this project with others who might want to help. Every little bit brings us closer to making a real impact on our community.

Thank you for being part of this journey with me. Your kindness and support inspire me to keep pushing forward, and I’m so excited about what we can achieve together in the coming months!

Best,
Sanay Jiandani

November Update

Hi All, 

As Thanksgiving approaches, I am reminded of the importance of gratitude and giving back to our community. This year, through my Eagle Scout project, I’ve embarked on a mission to help combat food insecurity. I’m building a mobile pantry for Martha’s Kitchen, a local soup kitchen, to bring food to those in need more effectively.

Thanks to the generosity of family, friends, and the community, I’ve raised $3,595 toward my $12,000 goal. This includes $200 from the bake sale, $1000 from a car wash, and $2,000 in donations from supporters like you. These funds will help us purchase a used school bus and retrofit it into a mobile pantry, enabling Martha’s Kitchen to serve even more families.

To further this effort, any funds raised before Giving Tuesday will be matched through a corporate giving program, doubling the impact of your support.

If you’ve already contributed, thank you from the bottom of my heart for your kindness and generosity. If you haven’t had the chance yet, I invite you to join me in this mission by making a donation of any amount. Together, we can make a real difference for families struggling with food insecurity, especially during this holiday season.

Thank you for considering this opportunity to give back and share the spirit of Thanksgiving. Your support means the world to me and to those we will help.

Best

Sanay Jiandani