There are some people who change a community loudly.
And then there are the people who do it quietly — through consistency, conviction, and the kind of work that doesn’t always make headlines… but changes lives anyway.
Whitney Sanger is one of those people.
She’s a nonprofit founder, yes. But she’s also a mom of seven. A Dubuque native. A full-time communications and storytelling professional in the nonprofit sector. And the kind of woman who is driven not by recognition — but by a deep belief that what we give away matters.
In today’s episode of The Found Podcast, Whitney and I talked about food… but we also talked about so much more than food.
Because when you zoom out, Project Rooted isn’t only about fresh produce or school lunches or farmers markets.
It’s about dignity. It’s about belonging. It’s about the way food can become a bridge — between neighbors, between generations, and between what is and what could be.
When your story becomes your spark
Whitney shared something I think many of us can relate to: those moments early in life that seem small — a comment, a look, an experience — but end up shaping the way we see ourselves for years.
For her, it was tied to body image, athletic identity, and a relationship with food that became complicated and painful.
Eventually, it became clear she needed help. And in one of the most powerful parts of our conversation, she shared how her mom was ready — with a plan, with support, and with a path forward.
Whitney spent 45 days in an inpatient eating disorder treatment facility in Arizona.
And that experience didn’t just change how she ate.
It changed how she understood food.
Not as something to fear, control, or categorize as “good” or “bad”…
But as something layered:
Nourishment. Culture. Community. Responsibility. Connection.
She walked out of that season with tools, support, and this quiet voice in the background that kept saying:
Someday, I’m going to give something back.
The birthday lunch that turned into a blueprint
Fast forward to the late 2010s.
Whitney showed up at her son’s school for a birthday lunch — the kind of moment that’s supposed to be ordinary. Sweet. Quick.
But she looked at the tray in front of her and thought:
We can do better.
And that sentence matters.
Not because she was judging anyone.
Not because she thought school lunch was “bad.”
But because her curiosity was awake.
And curiosity is often the beginning of meaningful work.
She packed her son’s lunch — an easy fix, a privileged fix, she admits — and then she did what founders do:
She widened the lens.
- What about the kids who can’t pack lunch?
- What about families who don’t have access to fresh foods?
- Where does school lunch funding come from?
- How do other communities do this differently?
Whitney researched. She asked questions. She reached out to her family in Italy to see what lunch could look like in another system.
And then she did the boldest part of the whole story:
She took the idea to someone who might actually help build it.
A local chef in Dubuque — Kevin, from Brazen.
And he didn’t hesitate.
He said, “I’m in.”
Starting in the worst year… and doing it anyway
Project Rooted officially launched in early 2020.
Which is a sentence that almost makes me laugh and wince at the same time.
Because we all know what happened next.
The world shut down.
Schools closed.
Families were scared.
Food systems were strained.
And instead of waiting until conditions were “perfect,” Whitney and her team pivoted into what was needed immediately.
They hosted meetings with local food providers, mapped where the community gaps were, and started serving fresh, homemade meals — complete with Notes of Hope tucked into each one.
The goal wasn’t just to feed bodies.
It was to feed hearts, too.
In 10 weeks, they served 35,000 meals.
Thirty-five thousand.
And when Whitney says, “I still don’t know how we did it,” I believe her — because so many pandemic stories sound like that.
The impossible became possible because enough people showed up.
What Project Rooted looks like now
Over the last five years, Project Rooted has expanded far beyond that first urgent season.
Whitney shared several initiatives that grew out of that same foundation:
- Free seed and grow-kit programs (because food security can start right at home)
- Rooted Bucks for kids to spend at the farmer’s market (because autonomy and exposure matter)
- The Rooted Box, their flagship program, delivered monthly to first graders — blending local foods, hands-on lessons, and connection in a way kids genuinely celebrate
Whitney described walking into classrooms on “Rooted Box Day” and being greeted like a rockstar — kids hugging her leg, asking what’s inside, daring each other to try rainbow radishes because their friend took a bite first.
And honestly?
That’s the part that gives me goosebumps.
Because it’s not just nutrition education.
It’s a cultural shift — taught through experience.
It’s kids learning:
- food can be fun
- local can be normal
- community can be part of the meal
- trying new things is brave
- and you belong here
If you feel a call, say it out loud
At the end of our conversation, I asked Whitney what she would say to the listener who has a nudge — a problem they see, an idea they can’t shake — but they don’t know what to do next.
Her answer was simple and powerful:
Say the dream out loud.
And then find your people.
The ones who won’t laugh it off.
The ones who will help you workshop it.
The ones who see your values and say, “Let’s do this.”
Because meaningful work rarely starts with a perfect plan.
It starts with a brave sentence and a community that believes with you.
Your takeaway
You don’t have to start a nonprofit.
You don’t have to feed 35,000 people.
You don’t have to fix everything.
But maybe you can do one thing:
- ask one better question
- make one connection
- speak one dream out loud
- take one step toward what you wish existed
That’s how movements start.
And that’s how communities get better — one rooted, hopeful, human step at a time.
Listen now to Whitney’s full episode, number 232 of The Found Podcast with Molly Knuth, now streaming on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
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