It also gives students a more attainable goal. A child who believes that earning the highest grades is the only way to succeed may become discouraged when progress comes slowly. A child who understands that improvement counts has another reason to keep trying.
In its description of the initiative, Alselwi's official GoFundMe page explains that he has seen students move from averages around 60 percent to results in the 80s and 90s. This is a report of his personal experience with participating students rather than an independently verified study of the program's overall effects, but it illustrates the kind of progress he hopes to encourage.
The distinction between perfection and improvement is central to the program's appeal.
A student does not necessarily need to outperform every classmate to experience a meaningful success. Sometimes, the most important achievement is doing better than before.
For children who have lost confidence in their abilities, receiving recognition for that progress may help them see a reason to continue working.
And for families, the program offers an additional opportunity to celebrate achievements that might otherwise receive little attention.
The Students Are Learning That Hard Work Can Be Recognized
For many children, motivation can be influenced by seemingly small experiences. A teacher's praise, a parent's encouragement, or a personal goal can give a student a reason to put more effort into schoolwork.
Grades for Grabs adds another source of encouragement: a local business owner who takes an interest in how children are doing academically.
In a May 2025 report, The Washington Post described the experience of Russell Vinson, an 11-year-old student who visited the deli with his report card. Alselwi celebrated Russell's honor-roll achievement, gave him a $100 bill, and invited him to choose items from the store.
Russell selected snacks for himself and eggs for his mother, who works as a baker. His visit illustrated how the rewards can become more than a personal treat: students sometimes use the opportunity to bring home groceries or other useful items for their families.
The newspaper also reported that Russell's mother had noticed his grades improving with Alselwi's encouragement. Her experience offered a parent's perspective on how recognition from someone outside the immediate family can reinforce a child's interest in doing well.
Another parent interviewed by the newspaper described a change in her young son's attitude toward school. Although he had not been performing badly, he had shown little interest in his studies. The opportunity to bring his report cards to the deli gave him an additional reason to try harder.
These accounts are individual experiences, not proof that financial rewards will improve every child's academic performance. Nevertheless, they help explain why the program has resonated with families.
Children often respond to encouragement differently. Some are motivated by competition, while others need reassurance that their efforts matter. Some enjoy receiving a tangible reward, while others are more affected by the excitement of sharing an accomplishment with someone who is genuinely pleased for them.
Grades for Grabs brings these elements together in a familiar setting.
A child walks through the door with a report card and leaves knowing that an adult has taken time to notice the work behind it. That interaction can be especially meaningful for students who rarely receive public recognition for their academic progress.
The program also provides an opportunity for children to practice talking about their accomplishments. Rather than seeing a report card as a document that must simply be handed to a parent, they can learn to discuss what went well, what they worked hard to achieve, and what they hope to improve next.
Those conversations may help students approach their education with greater confidence.
From One Student to a Neighborhood Tradition
What happened after the first student received a reward helps explain how quickly a small community idea can grow.
Initially, Alselwi paid for the rewards himself. The arrangement had been created to encourage one young customer, and he had not started with a large budget or a fundraising organization.
But once other children heard about the offer, they began bringing their own report cards to the deli.
According to The Washington Post, Alselwi decided he could not simply turn the other children away. He expanded the initiative to include students throughout the neighborhood, allowing more families to participate.
That decision transformed the original promise into something with a much broader purpose.
The deli was no longer just a place where one child could celebrate a good report card. It became a place where students with different academic experiences could receive recognition and encouragement.
As more children participated, the initiative began to establish a recognizable tradition. Students could work toward their goals during the school term, bring their results to the store, and celebrate with Alselwi when their report cards arrived.
The routine gave the program a simple structure without making it feel like a formal academic competition.
For families living near the store, the deli was already part of everyday life. Children might pass it on their way home from school, while parents stopped by to buy groceries or other necessities.
That familiarity helped make the program accessible. Students did not need to travel to a special venue or attend an elaborate ceremony to take part. They could visit a neighborhood business and share an achievement that mattered to them.
Over time, the initiative also attracted students from outside the immediate area. As news spread, families elsewhere in New York learned about the rewards and began visiting the store.
This expansion created a new challenge: a program originally funded from one person's pocket could become expensive as the number of participating students increased.
The growing interest also created an opportunity. If enough people were willing to contribute, Alselwi could continue the initiative without relying entirely on his own money.
That is where social media and community donations became essential.
Social Media Helped Turn a Local Story Into a Wider Movement
Alselwi's online identity, Island Ock, played an important role in bringing Grades for Grabs to a much larger audience.
By sharing videos of interactions at the deli, he allowed people who lived far from Staten Island to see students celebrating their academic achievements.
The videos often feature children arriving with report cards, discussing their grades, and receiving rewards. Alselwi's enthusiastic reactions help turn what might otherwise be a routine transaction into a memorable celebration.
A child who has worked hard to improve a grade may receive encouragement in front of the counter, while family members watch proudly. The resulting videos show an ordinary business becoming a place for a personal milestone.
The format is easy for viewers to understand. There is a clear goal, a moment of anticipation, and a visible outcome. Most importantly, the central story is positive: children are being encouraged to take their education seriously.
According to The Washington Post, many of Alselwi's videos went viral, drawing supportive comments from viewers. The newspaper also reported that he shared footage of participating students with permission from their parents.
That detail is important whenever children appear in public social media content. Their academic results and personal experiences should be treated with care, and parents or guardians need to understand how recordings will be used.
The program's videos have nevertheless helped communicate its purpose to audiences who might never otherwise have heard of Zack's Finest Deli & Grocery.