Las Vegas substitute teacher not only feeds minds, he also fills bellies with unique project

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Making a difference often starts with a small idea or a small step toward change. One local Las Vegas man calls himself the connecting Lego piece. He says his job as a substitute teacher sparked an idea and opened an opportunity to help. He’s bridging the gap between the food waste at local schools and the need at local food banks and pantries.

By day Andrew Plotkin is the goofy substitute teacher making kids laugh. But his fun ties, colorful shoes, and funky dance moves just mask the cape this local hero is wearing.

“I’m just doing this because it’s what we should be doing,” he said.

Should, and is.

“When it first kicked in how much food waste I was seeing, I thought to myself, I wouldn’t be my Mother’s son if I didn’t try to do something,” Plotkin said. He’s the founder and force behind The Should Project which collects leftover, pre-packaged food from the USDA’s School Breakfast Program.

“A lot of food that can very easily; if they had a cold place to sit; could very easily wait a day or two and then go somewhere as opposed to going in the trash.”

He partnered with other local non-profits to distribute the food to those in need.  Plotkin launched the pilot program at the Young Women’s Leadership Academy in Las Vegas in 2023.

“I realized there’s a pretty simple fix that could affect a pretty big change,” he said.

He purchased a refrigerator to store the unused food. Then, twice a week he picks it up and drops it off to organizations like the Nevada Homeless Alliance and Lutheran Social Services.

Plotkin said each month The Should Project saves and distributes more than one ton of food from this school alone.

“I know what I am seeing is just a drop in the bucket,” he said.

With one school up and running, next up, refrigerators for other schools, and continued education about waste and giving back. Plotkin joked, “If I catch a student on a cell phone before they have to put it away, the rule is that they have to go follow the Should Project on Instagram.”

Plotkin said all the food is available to the students at the end of each school day. He’s only picking up what’s left behind, as the schools need to make space for more deliveries.  If you’d like to learn more about The Should Project, click here or follow them on Instagram @theshouldproject.

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