Kwabi Amoah-Forson, a humanitarian and influencer from Tacoma, found his calling at The Evergreen State College where, he graduated with a liberal arts degree in 2015 from the Tacoma campus. “Evergreen was instrumental in me finding my purpose in life,” he says. “I would not be where I am today without Evergreen.”
And where he is today is remarkable, with a focus on humanitarianism through innovative efforts like the “All Youth Can Eat” summer food program and “The Peace Bus” delivering messages of peace.
Invited to give the alumni keynote speech at the College’s 53rd commencement ceremony on June 13, 2025, in Olympia, Amoah-Forson says his talk was a “full circle moment” where he could give back to his university. And his primary message to the graduating students? “Don’t give up hope,” he says. “Everyone has some sort of skill to empower people to help people in need.”
Evergreen Grad Launches Fourth Year of Feeding Hungry Young People in ‘All Youth Can Eat’ Summer Program
As a college student, Amoah-Forson says he learned about careers where you could help people in need. After graduating, he obtained an MBA but also discovered that he was not “money centered.” When he was struggling with his future and career path, he consulted with his former Evergreen professor, Peter Bacho. Bacho asked him who he wanted to be as a person. Amoah-Forson also researched public-spirited leaders. From that thoughtful approach, he determined he wanted to focus his skills on humanitarian efforts. “I found my calling at Evergreen,” Amoah-Forson describes.
And although he is a public speaker and influencer, Amoah-Forson doesn’t just talk about empowering people to build stronger communities. He dives right in. His “All Youth Can Eat” summer food program is just one notable example. “Addressing hunger nationally is the next wave of human progress,” he explains.
Now in its fourth year, All Youth Can Eat operates from July 1 to September 1 in the Tacoma, Seattle, Denver and Toledo, Ohio, areas. Its motto is, “Hunger Can’t Win When We All Pitch In.” With local partner restaurants making free food available to kids, teens and young adults, Amoah-Forson is helping reduce food insecurity. Last year, the campaign fed over 3,000 youth, making it the largest restaurant-led feeding program in the Northwest.
“Each restaurant involved in the campaign picks a day out of the week as well as a specific time frame on that day, where they will give a free meal to any youth who comes to the restaurant asking to participate in the program,” the GoFundMe webpage describes, where donations are also accepted. “Typically, the restaurant picks low-cost items from their menu to create a special ‘All Youth Can Eat’ Menu so that the young person participating in the program can pick from a variety of foods.” The roster of participating restaurants and distribution times for summer 2025 is being posted online.
The Peace Bus Spreads Message of Peace Throughout Community
And there’s more. Amoah-Forson seeks to foster dialogue on peace through his efforts like The Peace Bus, a 1988 Mitsubishi van painted a distinctive powder blue. Since 2019 when he purchased the used van, he has driven the bus in many communities to deliver socks, coats, blankets, essentials and messages of peace.
Amoah-Forson’s work through The Peace Bus has been widely recognized in stories on PBS Television, King 5 News, Q13 Fox, and more. He was awarded the Tacoma Peace Prize in 2022 and invited to attend the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in Oslo, Norway. He was honored with a mural in Tacoma depicting him as a peace ambassador, and he taught Peace 101 at The Evergreen State College.
Amoah-Forson says prior to embarking on his mission to spread his peace message, he studied people in the peace movement. They included not only widely known peace campaigners such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Ghandi, but also those less recognized in the United States, like Brian Haw. Haw lived for almost 10 years in a one-person peace camp in London’s Parliament Square. “He had compassion and respect for human beings,” says Amoah-Forson.
And if The Peace Bus isn’t enough, Amoah-Forson is obtaining his pilot’s license as he plans to buy a plane to help promote the peace message more broadly. “Peace is not all sunsets and rainbows,” he explains. “It is not passive. It is active.”
The Evergreen State College’s Graduates Make a Difference
The Evergreen State College is public liberal arts and sciences university with graduates like Amoah-Forson who use their passions and skills to make a difference. The college offers more than 45 fields of study, with campuses in Olympia and Tacoma. To learn more, visit the The Evergreen State College website.
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