EMPOWERING YOUNG PEOPLE TO HELP THE EARTH THRIVE

Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Anjali Sinha. Read her story, and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light.

While some people may see age as an obstacle, Anjali Sinha saw it as an opportunity.

As a freshman in high school, Anjali became aware of how a significant amount of clothing and books end up in landfills. Hoping to do whatever she could to help mitigate the devastating effects on the environment, Anjali formed Kids 4 Earth, a youth-led nonprofit that inspires students to take action against climate change. She started by running clothing drives, collecting gently used items that would otherwise end up in the trash. Knowing that people are struggling to find suitable clothing, Anjali had the idea to redistribute the items to those in need. Kids 4 Earth hosts a ReStyle Boutique, which provides free clothing to families in need, and books that are distributed to children who are less likely to have reading material at home. Not only does the work of Kids 4 Earth lessen greenhouse gas emissions and slow global warming, but it also provides for people who could use a little bit of help.

Anjali dedicates over 30 hours per month to her work with Kids 4 Earth. Whether she’s communicating with local organizations to coordinate partnerships or working with chapter leaders, her mission to make the planet a better place for those who come after her is a powerful one. In just three years, her impact has been tremendous. The organization has collected and distributed over 9,000 pounds of clothing and over 1,000 books.

Beyond the statistics, Anjali has also made a tremendous difference in her mission to inspire fellow young people. One of her greatest long-term goals is to expand the organization even further. While she’s already expanded to other chapters in different towns, states and even countries, she wants to grow the chapters and inspire other youth to make a difference. Anjali wants to show young people that just because an action is small, that doesn’t mean it won’t make a difference. Anjali’s academic future is also likely to be informed by her tremendous volunteer work. With college coming around the bend, Anjali hopes to study something in the same realm, like environmental science or public policy. By helping her community be a little bit more sustainable, Anjali has worked to build a better planet. The fact that she’s done it all before she’s turned 18 is a testament to the incredible power that young people can have through volunteerism.

What inspired you to get started with this initiative?

I started it three years ago, in my freshman year of high school. When I went to my friend’s house, I saw that her closet was overflowing with clothes. When I asked her about it, she told me that she doesn’t wear them and she’s planning to throw them out, even though they were all in pretty good condition. I started to learn more about clothing waste and fast fashion, and I realized that so much clothing in my community ends up in landfills. After doing some research, I learned that 82 million tons of clothing end up in landfills every year. At the same time, so many people go without clothing and are really in need. That’s what inspired me to fix two problems with the solution of running clothing drives and book drives to help provide items to people in need, while also diverting the items from landfills.

Tell us about your volunteer role with Kids 4 Earth.

We initially started with clothing drives, setting up donation bins at schools, libraries, and churches. We collected a lot of gently used clothing and distributed that to places with people in need, whether that’s a shelter or another organization that distributes to people in different countries. We started doing the same thing with books, and I realized books are very much in need in my town. A lot of schools have students who don’t have books at home. We partnered with another organization called Book Smiles, and they’ve helped us distribute books to local schools. We’ve even done free book fairs, where students can take books on their own.

What’s been the most rewarding part of your work?

The most rewarding part of my work is probably interacting with other people, especially the ones that we help through Kids 4 Earth. For example, one of our initiatives is called the re-style boutique. It’s a clothing swap, where we have clothing racks and tables set up outside a school or a grocery store. We put out gently used clothes, and people can bring in their items and exchange them for other clothes. I think that’s one of my favorite parts because you see so many adults’ faces light up. Even kids, when they get something new, like exchanging an old sweater for a new dress. It helps to see that we are making a difference in our towns by providing things that people need.

What have you learned through your experiences as a volunteer?

I’ve learned that it’s very important to connect with people. When I started Kids 4 Earth, I was a little shy, and it was difficult for me to step out of my comfort zone. However, I realized that if I wanted to spread my message and teach others how important the environment is, it’s going to require me to speak up and talk. That message of connection has been essential in my journey with Kids 4 Earth, where I talk to other adults and hold educational workshops with adults and kids. I think a lot of people don’t realize what a big impact clothing waste has, or books have, in the landfills, and teaching them is very important to me.

Tell us about future partnerships, programs or events that you are excited about.

We’ve had a couple of past partnerships, and I’m very excited to continue those. Specifically, we recently partnered with a local church that sends items in need to the Dominican Republic. I was talking to them recently, and they need certain items, like baby clothes and light summer clothes. We’re actually partnering with them to give a lot of our gently used items, and they’re going to be shipping out in the fall, which is very exciting.

Why is it important for others to get involved with causes they care about?

We gain perspective. For me, volunteering helped me see how other students and kids my age don’t have the same books or warm clothes that I have. Through volunteer work, we can see how simple acts of kindness and generosity can change someone’s life. At the same time, it also builds our confidence and empathy. As a young person, I used to feel like maybe someone should fix the problems I saw. Over the past few years, and through volunteering with Kids 4 Earth, I think that I can help fix these problems. I can make a difference.

Do you have any advice for people who want to start volunteering?

Pick an issue or something you deeply care about, because that’s the way that your actions are going to have the biggest difference. For me, what matters is nature and the environment, because I’ve spent a lot of time outside, and it’s something that I deeply care about. If you feel afraid to make that first step, join an existing organization that’s related to whatever topic you care about. That way, you’re with other volunteers. People are always here to guide you and help you, so you should never be afraid to make that positive difference.

What do you want people to learn from your story?

I think people can learn that very small actions can have a big impact. For Kids 4 Earth, our main goal when I first started was to help our planet. If I looked at it from the beginning, I didn’t think that running clothing drives could have a difference in carbon emissions or global warming. But when we look at it from a different perspective, we see that any small action does have an impact, including me saving 100 pounds of clothes from the trash. All of those small actions add up, and eventually they do make a difference. We shouldn’t be afraid that our small actions won’t make a difference. We should always try and put some type of effort in.

Do you want to make a difference in your community like Anjali? Find local volunteer opportunities.