Shivani Ramanathan
Poverty Patch-Up was founded by Shivani Ramanathan at the age of 13, driven by her deep understanding of the hardships faced by communities experiencing poverty and homelessness. Shivani's compassion and leadership began at the young age of 7 when she started using her birthday savings to create 25 meals for the homeless, personally distributing them throughout the Bay Area every year. This early experience growed her passion to establish Poverty Patch-Up and lead numerous projects, which have since donated over thousands meals to those in need.
As the founder and Executive Director of Poverty Patch-Up, Shivani has empowered over 14 young leaders globally to establish and grow their own chapters and organizations, all contributing to the fight against poverty and homelessness.
Founder's Story
Growing up in the Bay Area, I, Shivani Ramanathan, often found myself unable to ignore the contrast I saw around me. On one side were opportunities, comfort, and abundance, but just a few streets away, I would see people struggling with hunger, homelessness, and being overlooked. What stayed with me most was not just the presence of poverty, but how easily it could be unseen. Over time, volunteering and working in community spaces made that reality feel even more personal.
I met individuals and families whose situations were often reduced to labels, when in reality they carried stories, strength, and dignity that deserved to be acknowledged. Those experiences made me realize I didn’t just want to help occasionally, I wanted to build something consistent, youth-led, and action-driven.
In 2023, I founded Poverty Patch-Up, a youth-led 501(c)(3) nonprofit focused on addressing homelessness and food insecurity through hands-on outreach and community organizing. What started as a small idea has grown into a network of student-led chapters across the Bay Area, united by a shared commitment to service. Poverty Patch-Up is deeply personal to me. It represents my belief that empathy should turn into action, and that young people are not just future leaders, but current ones capable of real, visible change in their communities.
