In March, six enterprising teenagers founded CH3, a youth chapter of nonprofit ogranization Children’s Hope India, in hopes of making a difference in the community. Their first goal was to raise $3,000 to
send two local homeless children to a summer day camp.
Four months and three fundraisers later, the girls have not only met their goal, but far surpassed it. They were able to raise over $12,000 and will be sending three kids to the eight-week Young People’s
Day Camps this summer.
“We’re still in shock,” said Rhea Manjrekar, a CH3 member and Hicksville High School student. “Four months ago we had nothing. We’re really excited about it.”
“We never knew we would get this far with it,” said Karishma Kamat, a CH3 member from Herricks. “We knew we would get money but not this much. The reaction was so good and it was perceived so well.”
The girls organized three fundraisers over the past few months: at Friendly’s in Hicksville, Panera Bread, and Om Sweet Om in Port Washington. The girls say the support they received from their local communities was overwhelming.
“It was such a great thing to see my whole town come together,” said Milan Sani, a junior at Schreiber High School in Port Washington. “The yoga studio donated time and teachers, my school helped and
everyone donated.”
“The community was very open to what we wanted to do. The track team from my school and all my friends really supported me, and that pushed me to go far,” said Hicksville High School student Fatimah Mukadum.
Children’s Hope India hosted a ceremony last week, to congratulate the girls and present the recipients with their camp vouchers, as well as gift bags filled with camp supplies.
“I’m so thankful,” said a mother of two of the recipients. “I really truly appreciate it.”
“This is a first. Those three scholarships are going to mean a lot. It’s so nice you’re going to touch three lives like this,” said camp director Brendan McCaffrey.
Assemblyman Michael Montesano presented the girls a citation commending them on their fundraising accomplishments.
“Generally when we have people doing not for profit work, it’s adults. But you’re all so inspiring. Thank you for the work you do, and the energy and vibrance you have,” he said.
The girls say that having such a succesful first project has only inspired them to continue helping others.
“It helps us feel a lot more secure because we’ve done so much already. I feel like we can do anything now as long as we’re determined and come together,” says Hicksville High School’s Annamaria Zisimatos.
“This shows how much potential we have to do so much more,” says Sani. “We’re hoping to help donate school supplies and maybe do the camp again. We just want to help in any way possible.”
For more information on CH3, check out www.childrenshopeindia.org/about-us/ch3/
