Ike’s Love & Sandwiches has made a donation to the Fam1st Family Foundation in Oakland, California. Ike’s $5,000 donation will help grow the foundation’s programs for underserved youth, which aims to build new generations of innovative thinkers to create solutions for the future of Oakland & the world.
“We’re hella appreciative of all the blessings Ike has given to Fam 1st, not just now but all the times he’s stepped up to support our foundation,” says Fam1st Co-Founder and NFL running back Marshawn Lynch. “Whenever we call on Ike, he comes thru, doesn’t matter if it’s in da’ town, LA, Vegas, or Honolulu.”
Youth programs at Fam1st include Architecture & Design, Coding, Culinary, Music Studio, Academic Support and Young Entrepreneurship. Fam1st was founded in 2011 to ensure that youth from Oakland, California were provided with opportunities to expand their horizons through sports and family support services. Over the last decade, the foundation has expanded its program offerings and reached youth all around the world.
Co-founder and NFL cornerback Marcus Peters shared “Ike’s has always been solid. Their sandos go crazy but more importantly, they are good people. Ike’s Sandwiches is a staple in the Bay, but they are also growing and planting seeds everywhere, just like us at Fam 1st. The donation is always needed and appreciated but really, it’s just the icing on the cake to the many times Ike’s has been there for us.”
“The purpose of Fam1st Fam programming is to move our young people through phases of development which will inculcate them with adaptability. We believe that adaptability leads to better outcomes in school, family life and professional careers. Adaptability comes from each youth having a sense of their own competence, confidence, accountability and patience,” says Brije Gammage, Executive Director of Fam1st. “If hard skills such as computer science, culinary, business entrepreneurship, graphic design, and architecture are brought to the youth in a culturally sensitive, engaging, and challenging manner, then our youth not only gain professional competence, they gain the ability to adapt to any situation, challenge or setback that flows from growing up in a low-income environment.”
Ike’s Love & Sandwiches first opened in 2007 under the name “Ike’s Place” in San Francisco with sandwiches created by Ike Shehadeh. The small sandwich shop quickly developed a cult and celebrity following, thanks to the creative and delicious offerings on Dutch Crunch bread with Ike’s secret “Dirty Sauce.” Ike is constantly adding new styles to the menu of now over 800 sandwiches, with many named after celebrity athletes who often work with Ike to develop their own sandwich creation like the Madison Bumgarner, Andre S.O.G. Ward and Marshawn Lynch. Each location opens with its own exclusive sandwich, imaginatively named for the community. Ike’s has always put its customers’ happiness first.
