Teens Awarded As 30 Projects Selected Call For Kindness Winners

New York City NY

19 May, 2021

12:10 PM

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NEW YORK — Dozens of teenagers across the country have been recognized for their project promoting kindness, empathy, leadership and connection-making. Those values embody the goal of the Riley's Way Foundation, a nonprofit organization created in memory of Riley Sandler. Riley was a 9-year-old New York City girl set to enter fourth grade in 2014 when she suffered a fatal respiratory arrest while asleep overnight at a summer camp. The foundation is a way to keep her kind spirit alive, Christine O'Connell, executive director of the foundation, told Patch earlier this year when seeking project nominations. It was founded by Ian and Mackenzie Sandler in memory of Riley, their daughter. "I am thrilled to see Riley's spirit and love of life carried forward in the Call for Kindness by fostering her kindness, caring, compassion, and empathy in other children," Ian Sandler said in a previous callout for projects. Thirty projects — all created by teenagers — recognized across the country as the Riley's Way Foundation's 2021 Call for Kindness winners. Members of the winning project teams will be awarded up to $3,000 for their contributions. Related On Patch: Teens Across America Sought To Inspire Kindness "Young people have the ideas, passion and drive to change the world," O'Connell said in a news release. "We are empowering a youth-led movement of kindness at Riley's Way." All 30 project winners addressed urgent community issues, according to the news release, including education equity, homelessness and mental health, among others. Five of the winning projects are from teens in New York City, including one winning work from Long Island City in Queens. Five projects selected this year addressed food insecurity, an issue that's become more pressing since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020. Among them, the "Living School Community Orchard Project" by Kaprice Daniels in New Orleans provides healthy food options for people on the east side of the city "and educates them on food that can be grown in their front yard." In South Dakota, another food insecurity-related kindness project that was recognized helps increase access to healthy produce for people in the Kul Wicasa Wóye Oígluha indigenous community. "So many people are experiencing (food insecurity) during COVID," O'Connell told Patch. "Food pantries are overstretched. So this is an issue we need to give extra attention to." Here is a complete list of the 2021 Call for Kindness winners. Descriptions are from the Riley's Way Foundation. City; Winner(s); Project NameNew York City, NY; Hattie Shapard; The Amity ProjectConnects teens to elderly through four programs: a pen-pal program, telephone correspondence program, art box program and card-making initiative New York City, NY; Charlie Hirschhorn; The Friendly Fridge NetworkEstablishes a support network for high school students to bring community fridges to their neighborhoods. New York City, NY; Tamanna Begum; Sasha Hori; Tech Inclusion ProjectAims to bridge the demographic gap in the tech industry by providing resources and opportunities to underrepresented youth. New York City, NY; Alexa Kayman; Lia Fernandez-Grinshpun; Sanjana Moturi; Meghana Nakkanti; Waela Van Nostrand; The GenerationServes as an opportunity, career, and learning platform for students with a mission to combat educational inequity. Long Island City, NY; Jahin Rahman; Fahmin Rahman; Project DreamcatcherProvides educational opportunities for orphaned and homeless youth in Bangladesh and fosters friendships between their volunteers in the United States and the supported children. Paducah, KY; Morgan Guess; Be Kind Kentucky License PlateRaises statewide awareness around bullying through an official Be Kind Kentucky license plate. Goshen, KY; Shamitha Kuppala; Krisha Thakker; Gia Mendiratta; Maggie Wong; Kayden Mulrooney; SOS, Inc. for Youth Mental HealthTackles mental health for teens though connection making and communication. Suwanee, GA; Nidhi Charagundla; Rhea Saravanan; RisingSTEMsProvides STEM workshops and project kits to children and teens in youth homes and Title 1 schools, allowing them to pursue their interests in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Suwanee, GA; Riza Khan, Devika Manoj; Blooming SeedsProvides free science workshops to immerse youth with special needs into the world of science and create an inclusive environment where people with and without disabilities can interact. Edison, NJ; Shreya Shivakumar, Sarina Thapar & Vasundhara Kulkarni; Nourish AmericaProvides allergy-friendly and nutritious food to people in need. Hoboken, NJ; Dylan Zajac; Ethan Oliver; Computers 4 PeopleCollects, refurbishes, and donates computers to under-resourced communities to promote equity and access to opportunity. Santa Ana, CA; Andreanela Ordoñez; Taboo TalkzPromotes vulnerability, self-expression, and discussion on stigmatized topics among youth. San Diego, CA; Khloe Thompson; PeachTree PadProvides free eco-friendly, sustainable feminine pads for people in Ghana. San Jose, CA; Michelle Qiao; Stories to HealCreates a workshop series to write, publish, and freely distribute an illustrated picture book humanizing and showcasing the individuality of different East Asian cultures. San Jose, CA; Hannah Su; EDify TalksAims to educate the community, diversity the narrative, and end the stigma around eating disorders and related issues. Dallas/Fort Worth, TX; Vivian Nguyen ; Michelle Mejia; Makayla Hsieh; Makayla Hsieh; Olamide Fadahunsi; Faith Washington; Shalini Thinakaran; The Formula ProjectCreates a mentorship program for middle school girls with high school upperclassmen as mentors, providing a sisterhood of support to middle school girls. Texas; Shane Mushambi; Nigel Mushambi; Tino Nyabadza; GemstonesAcademically supports Black elementary school students through free enrichment activities, such as interactive games, stories, and puzzles. East Point, GA; C.J. Matthews; Give Like CJ Blanket Kit Project & Virtual PartyConnects people through blanket making and giving, and encourages kindness and empathy for those dealing with difficult situations. Seattle, WA; Anya Shukla & Kathryn Lao; The Colorization CollectivePromotes diversity in the arts by supporting teen artists of color. Sammamish, WA; Joseph Osborn; Ipshita Tripathi; Miko Kato; Jay Maddukuri; Russell Johnson; Isabelle Schmidt; Mackenzie Hunkins; The Hope Festival 2021Supports in-need families across the greater Seattle area by providing more than 1,000 guests with free groceries, clothes, hygiene items, books, and free services. Landenberg, PA; Isabella Hanson; I MatterProvides the inspiration and forum for hundreds of youth to be heard on the vital subject of why Black Lives Matter. Lower Brule, SD; Alyssa Jones; Kul Wicasa Wóyte OígluhaAims to increase access to healthy produce within the Kul Wicasa Oyate Tribal Nation by expanding the community garden to provide more locally grown fruits and vegetables, and creating a farmers market. New Orleans, LA; Kaprice Daniels; Living School Community Orchard ProjectProvides healthy food options for families in New Orleans East and educates them on food that can be grown in their front yard. Walnut Creek, CA; Seena Farhadi; LEAP MDUSD Essential Supply DriveProvides tutoring and assistance to homeless and foster youth students through an essential needs drive to provide for all homeless and foster youth students. Waimanalo, Oahu, HI; Pahonu Coleman; Na Kukui O WaimanaloInspires youth and expands cultural identity by connecting Hawaiian youth to elders, their culture, wahi pana (sacred places), self-identity and overall well-being. Ashburn, VA; Esha Venkat & Shreyaa Venkat; NEST NurturesIncreases awareness and action around food waste reduction and rescue, and redistributes safe edible food to those in need. Washington, DC; Michel Ruiz-Fuentes; Frank Sheffield; The Patient Project: Advocating for Healthcare EquityStrives to ensure that everyone receives quality care, equal opportunity, and necessary resources for survival by providing necessary hygienic products to underserved civilians. Grand Prairie, TX; Faith Ajanaku, Maham Kazmi & Maxine Magtoto; Modern DivergenceBreaks the stigma revolving around mental and developmental health and raising awareness for the effect of mental health diagnosis on kids and teens. Spring, TX; Charisma Abolo; Progress Adebayo; Samuel Muzac; Diane Guo; REAL Consulting ProgramHopes to bridge the socioeconomic and racial disparity in college attendance by providing assistance to high schoolers that lack access to the resources necessary for success in the college application process. Charlotte, NC; ZaNia Stinson; Z Feeds Go-Go Bags ProjectProvides special bags to people experiencing hunger and homlessness packed with nonperishable food items, drinks, toiletries and encouraging reading material to offer hope. Chicago, IL; Sonika Menon & Rinna Talwar; The Birthday Giving ProgramProvides birthday bags and celebrations to children, adults, senior citizens, and veterans affected by poverty, addiction, abuse, homelessness, violence, physical/mental challenges, old age, and loneliness.