This fall, students in North Texas Red Cross clubs from 40 middle and high schools raised $8,616 for the Measles and Rubella Partnership to provide vaccines to children around the world. The Vaccinate A Village initiative was led by North Texas Youth Services Executive Council philanthropy officer Harsh Singh and fundraising coordinators Siya Shukla and Abhiram Narendra.
The American Red Cross, as a partner in the Measles & Rubella Partnership, works to provide life-saving medical care to children in need. Since 2001, the collaboration has vaccinated more than three billion people across 88 countries, protecting them from the measles virus, one of the most contagious and deadly childhood diseases.
“Each campus lead assembled a team, and then each team member would reach out to a certain number of financially available adults willing to donate,” said Singh, philanthropy officer of the North Texas Youth Service Executive Board and FY24 campaign lead on the National Youth Council. “Through that process of continual outreach and spreading the message around different social networks, each team was able to route funds raised to the GoFundMe page for each campus.”
With an individual GoFundMe page, each team created personalized, campus-wide campaigns promoting personal leadership and growth. The most successful schools leveraged the power of direct donations and social networking. Campaigns at The Oakridge School, led by Simran Singhal and Keilah Reynolds; Independence High School, led by Arya Jha and McKamy Middle School, led by Tanvi Padala, raised the most money.
“This ‘Vaccinate A Village’ campaign was unique in the fact that high schoolers had to kind of step up and assemble their team,” Singh said. “Thus, members of the committee not only had to reach out to their adult contacts but also had to mobilize their team members and make sure they were doing their part.”
Singh also emphasized how the project management skills and teamwork volunteers gained will be valuable as they advance through high school, college, and into the workforce. Through collaboration and a proactive spirit, teens successfully raised funds for the initiative and gained essential skills and experiences.
With the achievements of Vaccinate a Village, the DFW Philanthropy Committee will continue to use this outreach model for future initiatives, such as the nationwide Rescue Royale Campaign for Youth. Together, the direct outreach and involvement of volunteers led to the success of this campaign, transforming and saving lives.
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