It also creates opportunities for parents and other adults to have more constructive conversations about school. Instead of asking only, “Why didn't you get a higher grade?” they can ask, “What did you do differently this time?” or “Which subject have you improved in?”
Those questions shift the focus toward learning, persistence, and problem-solving.
For a child who has begun to believe that academic success is out of reach, that change in perspective can be especially valuable.
The Moment a Report Card Becomes a Source of Pride
Imagine a student walking into the deli after school, holding a report card that represents weeks or months of work.
Perhaps the child has earned excellent marks and cannot wait to share the news. Perhaps the results are not perfect, but they are better than before. Either way, the student has chosen to bring the report card to someone who has promised to pay attention.
Alselwi looks at the grades, recognizes the achievement, and responds with enthusiasm.
The child gets to choose a reward and leave the store with something tangible. But the experience offers something that cannot be placed in a shopping bag: the feeling of being seen.
For children, praise can carry particular weight when it comes from someone outside their immediate family. A teacher's encouragement can make a difference, but so can the words of a coach, neighbor, shopkeeper, or family friend.
These adults occupy different roles in a child's life, yet they can all help create an environment in which positive choices are noticed.
Alselwi's role is especially interesting because he encounters children in a setting that is familiar and informal. They do not have to enter a principal's office or attend a special ceremony. They simply walk into a neighborhood store.
That ordinary setting may make the experience feel more accessible. The deli becomes a place where students can share good news without needing to wait for a formal award or school event.
It also gives children an opportunity to associate education with positive emotions. Rather than seeing grades only as numbers printed on paper, they experience the moment as a celebration of their own effort.
A reward cannot guarantee that a student will become more confident or perform better in every subject. Children's motivation is influenced by many factors, including their family circumstances, school environment, interests, and access to support. Nevertheless, a positive experience can help reinforce the idea that improvement is possible and that adults are willing to recognize it.
For some students, the most memorable part of the visit may not be the money or the snacks. It may be hearing an adult say, with genuine excitement, that they have done a good job.
And sometimes, that is exactly the kind of encouragement a child needs to keep going.
From One Student to Thousands of Supporters
As more children participated, Grades for Grabs began attracting attention beyond Staten Island.
Alselwi shared videos of students presenting their report cards and celebrating their rewards through his online presence. The nickname “Island Ock” became associated with the initiative, and clips showing his enthusiastic reactions helped introduce the project to a much larger audience.
The appeal was easy to understand.
Viewers saw children smiling with their report cards, adults celebrating academic progress, and a local business owner using his own time and resources to encourage young people. The videos offered a refreshing alternative to the arguments, criticism, and negative headlines that frequently dominate social media.
They also gave viewers a glimpse of community life that many people could relate to. Almost everyone remembers a time when a small compliment, a teacher's encouragement, or a relative's recognition made an achievement feel more meaningful.
As the videos circulated, people who had never visited Staten Island learned about the deli and the children it was helping.
Some viewers shared the videos with friends and family. Others expressed admiration for Alselwi's approach or asked how they could contribute financially. The initiative began to grow from a local act of generosity into a much broader effort supported by people who wanted to help children succeed.
Coverage from The Washington Post in May 2025 and People around the same period helped bring the story to a wider readership. By 2026, further reporting by ABC News and other outlets showed that the initiative continued to attract attention and financial support.
The story's reach illustrates how social media can sometimes connect a small, community-based project with people who would otherwise never know it existed.
A neighborhood deli may have limited resources on its own. But when thousands of people learn about its work, they can collectively help sustain the idea.
What began with one student and one promise had become a movement that invited strangers to participate in something positive.
And that transformation was not driven by a complicated marketing strategy. It grew from a simple story that people wanted to share.
More Than $618,000: A Community Decides to Invest in Children
As the story spread, people began asking an important question: How could they help keep Grades for Grabs going?
Alselwi had started the initiative as a personal commitment to young people in his neighborhood. But as the number of students grew, so did the cost of providing cash prizes, snacks, groceries, and other rewards.
Rather than allowing the program to depend entirely on what one small business owner could afford, he opened the door for the wider community to participate.
A fundraising campaign titled Inspire Academic Excellence with Islandock was created to support the initiative. The campaign explains that contributions help provide free snacks, cash rewards, and other incentives for students who work hard to improve their academic performance.
The response was remarkable.
Thousands of individual donations poured in from people who wanted to become part of the effort. According to widely circulated reports, the fundraiser has surpassed $600,000 at certain points in its growth, although the live total displayed on the fundraising page can change over time.
The campaign's significance lies not simply in the amount of money raised, but in what that money represents.
Each contribution reflects a decision by someone, somewhere, to support a project designed to help children recognize the value of education.
A person who has never visited Staten Island can contribute to a student receiving a reward. Someone living hundreds or thousands of miles away can help a local deli owner continue encouraging children to work toward their goals.
That is the remarkable potential of community fundraising. When an idea resonates with enough people, its impact can extend far beyond the resources of the person who first imagined it.
For Alselwi, donations make it possible to reach more students without having to personally cover every expense. For supporters, contributing offers a practical way to turn admiration into action.
And for children, the result is a program that can continue welcoming students who arrive with their report cards and hopes for a better future.