Have you ever made care kits? If you haven’t, there’s an organization at school that makes different types of care packages monthly! Devaanshi Kawatra, along with founding the Global Cultural Club and Science Research Buddies, started an initiative called Kits That Care.
In her junior year at BHS, she reached out to Mrs. Glassman with a specific goal in mind: sending care kits to youth in hospitals. The project began expanding throughout the year as they fundraised to send toiletries, toys, and cards to local homeless shelters and hospitals. They even expanded their mission internationally, sending 100 medical kits to Uganda, Africa. Over the summer, they collaborated with Senator Rhoads to host a school supply drive at the Bethpage Public Library. Collecting hundreds of supplies, they delivered them to the John Theissen Children’s Foundation. Devaanshi also collaborated with a Long Island family to donate 24 full school backpacks to the foundation.
Due to the success of her initiative, Devaanshi received the Students Building Bridges Award from the Long Island Jewish Relations Community Council. Additionally, after a rigorous application cycle, she won a $500 grant from Let’s Choose Love, a national 501c3 nonprofit, to make mental health kits in October. Devaanshi shared, “I’m so happy that the Bethpage community has responded so well to our organization. What we’ve accomplished wouldn’t be possible without everyone’s support!”
After Devaanshi graduates in the spring, she hopes to bring this project to college and has gathered a committed group of students that will continue the organization in school. Benjamin Maciel-Seidman, currently a junior, is one of these students and has also started his own initiative under Devaanshi’s organization titled Discover Kits—they send experimental-based STEM kits to disadvantaged neurodivergent youth in New York City in collaboration with the New York Board of Education. When asked to share his thoughts, Benjamin responded, “Discover Kits means a lot to me, especially as a huge advocate for accessible STEM education. We were actually inspired to begin this program by Claire D’Emic, our advisor for a STEM program at the Long Island Children’s Museum.”
When Mrs. Glassman, the school’s social worker and project advisor, was asked about her thoughts, she said, “Anything can make a difference—big or small—and I think it’s important to give back to the community, and Devaanshi really embodies the qualities needed to do that.”
If you are interested in joining this initiative, you can keep an eye out for upcoming flyers around the school and activities on 21st Century! Additionally, you can join their GroupMe with this link: https://groupme.com/join_group/99728338/egUVw54Z.
Their website: https://kitsthatcare.wixsite.com/kits-that-care
