Michelle Pavliv was looking for a particular kind of organization to focus her philanthropic giving toward when she and her husband Leo settled in the Raleigh area some 25 years ago. She was attracted to the mission of Inter-Faith Food Shuttle, the way that they not only distribute food to neighbors in need, but that they also provide a means by which those same neighbors can escape from the hunger cycle through education, job training, and agricultural instruction. Michelle and Leo became supporters of the Food Shuttle, and that support has become a way of life through which Michelle extends her time, talent, and treasure to help create a hunger free community.
Michelle was a long-time attendee and participant of the annual Taste of Hope and Blossoms of Hope fundraising events for the Food Shuttle. As a board member and founding member of the National Charity League, Michelle helped to connect the Food Shuttle as one of the philanthropy partners of the organization. She became active as a Food Shuttle volunteer, organizing food drives and packing Grocery Bags for Seniors. A chance meeting with Food Shuttle board member Kim McGimsey led to Michelle’s serving on the board’s Governance Committee, which she did for several years. When other board commitments freed up her time, Michelle agreed to serve on the Food Shuttle board of directors and she came on in July of 2021. Michelle says she likes the direction the Food Shuttle is moving in and the way it has evolved in the 20+ years she has been involved with its mission.
In November 2021, during the #GivingTuesday campaign, Michelle encouraged those close to her to donate through a personalized donation page. Michelle upped the ante by offering a match challenge of $6,000. “I’ve always tried to encourage others to give to make the world a better place. This year, I decided I was on the board, and this is an organization I’ve already shown my commitment to, so I’m going to encourage my friends and family to share this with me. I was blown away by the response!” Michelle’s donation page raised over $13,000 for the Food Shuttle.
As to the question of “why hunger relief” as a cause on which to focus her efforts, Michelle says there are multiple reasons. “I feel really blessed. I’ve never gone lacking for my basic needs to be covered. And so, contributing our dollars for the basic needs of others has always been an important part of our giving. I don’t feel that anybody should be hungry, or nobody shouldn’t have a decent place to live, whether it’s here in the U.S. or in the developing world.” She appreciates the Food Shuttle’s “teach a man to fish” approach to “giving a person a hand up, rather just than a handout” as a means of hunger relief.
“Nobody should go hungry in our community, and we have an obligation and a privilege as members of this community to help those around us. I am grateful for all the gifts that have been bestowed on me and mine and I want to make sure to share that with others. Food insecurity feels unacceptable in our community. I can’t understand why it happens here and I want to do something about that.”
Michelle and Leo have two grown children, Danielle who is married and lives in Salt Lake City, and Matt, also married and living in Apex. Originally from New York, Michelle is retired from working in the food science industry and now commits her time to philanthropic and community development work.