Operation Bounce Back: From Feeding Families to Fighting Poverty
BY ASHLEY WARD | For AC JosepH Media
PLEASANTVILLE — What started as a fundraiser, then grew into a feeding tour, is now transforming into a mission that will create pathways out of poverty.
Since 2020, Chef Andre Murphy has used his passion for cooking to serve more than 50,000 seniors, first responders, and families from New Jersey to North Carolina through his Healing for the Soul’s Feeding Initiatives.
Now, with his upcoming project Operation Bounce Back, he plans to take his mission even further, expanding beyond food to economic relief.
Launching in October 2025, Operation Bounce Back will be a 70-city economic relief tour along the East Coast, stretching from Maine to Florida. In each state, the initiative will focus on the five cities with the highest poverty rates.
The tour will commence with a six-month fundraising campaign to raise $50 million, with 90% of the funds being reinvested in the communities that were visited.
Once the campaign goal is reached, the second phase of the project will channel seven to eight million dollars per month into communities along the east coast, aiming to reduce poverty rates within those cities by up to 50%.
“That’s where the poverty line reduction comes in, that’s where we see the impact.” Murphy says.
Operation Bounce Back is unique compared to his earlier projects because it focuses on both immediate relief and long-term impact. The project’s economic relief includes food security, mental health support, entrepreneurship, and innovation, and Murphy and his partners hope to build systems that allow families to bounce back into stability.
He also plans to highlight the first responders within the five cities of each state. “They do a lot for us; So, we want to highlight them wherever we go.” Murphy says.
Graphic courtesy of Andre Murphy
With this new initiative, Murphy is extending his mission from nourishing bodies to strengthening futures, one city at a time. Anyone wishing to support Operation Bounce Back can contribute through donations, share the mission within their communities, or partner with Murphy and his team to help strengthen its impact.
“We’re going to be spreading our efforts all throughout different cities, different communities, getting people involved because this tour isn’t about our organization. It’s a collaborative effort; connecting with other organizations that are trying to help their community thrive,” Murphy said.
“We don’t have all of the answers but we have a great plan.”
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