Nonprofit created by South Florida high school students goes far beyond helping those in need

For five True North Classical Academy seniors, fighting hunger isn't just about feeding people. It's about making them feel valued. And they're doing it with something you might not expect: steak.

"Instead of just giving them peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, like most people might do for caloric efficiency, we decided to go for something that's more connecting, like steak, and can bring more people together," said Nicolas Bello, founder of the Giving Grill.

The non-profit the Giving Grill was born during a hangout among friends and quickly turned into a mission to serve their community.

"We're all eating these steaks, having a good time, and he [Nicolas] says, 'What if we do a steak non-profit' and boom, the idea of the Giving Grill was born from there," said senior, Milad Farajzadeh.

So far, they've served about 300 people, grilling 150 pounds of steak at a homeless shelter. Bello said it's not just about the food. They serve the meals themselves, sit down, and connect with the people they're helping, and he said that's the best part.

"Seeing the faces of everyone I've helped and just experiencing the meals with them. Handing out, eating the meals and just seeing their pure joy when they're eating it," said Bello.

CBS News Miami sat in one of their brainstorming meetings.

"The start-up is obviously going to be more than doing a normal fundraiser," said senior Macsen Rowlands, referring to their next big event.

"I'm going to send another letter to the IRS; hopefully we could get put on the EOBFM ," said Bello.  

"Last time it went pretty well just getting it in bulk," replied senior Travis Phinney.

As they prepare for college, these students hope to take their mission beyond Miami, bringing their passion for helping others to new communities.

"We want to take these ideals of friendship, take the new friends we meet at these universities, the same enthusiasm to help the community, because Miami is not the only place facing food insecurity," said Farajzadeh.

Proving that sometimes making a difference starts with a simple meal and a seat at the table. 

The students credit their mentors and educators at True North Classical Academy for helping them develop the Giving Grill. 

They said every dollar raised goes directly toward purchasing steaks and expanding their outreach. 

They're now looking for community sponsors to help bring their steak dinners to more people across South Florida.