Millburn Children join hands with Hope and Joy for Children, a local charity: Turn a Profit for Charity

More than 100 Millburn elementary and middle schoolers came together to sell homemade food and children items to raise thousands for Save the Children. It began with Etasha Donthi, now a sixth-grader, who started an origami art charity called Hope and Joy For Children (HJC) with the goal of raising money for suffering children around the globe. Her friend, Rene Zhang helped her at the first event. Soon several children joined the team.

Disney-Youth Service America awarded Hope and Joy for Children, a $500 grant to organize projects to help make the community healthier, greener and stronger. The grantee was expected to educate and mobilize their peers around the issue of poverty, creating solutions to eradicate the issue through awareness, service, advocacy, and philanthropic activities. The HJC team was able to inspire more than 100 children from Millburn township to set up booths and sell their own origami art, poetry, jewelry, baked goods, toys, used books, healthy food, drinks, and games at the Bauer Center on March 25th. For detailed information regarding the participating kids and their booths, please check the website http://23donthie.wixsite.com/ hopejoychildren.

Over 300 people attended the event, raising more than $3,500 for Save the Children, a non-profit, international aid organization that supports impoverished children, refugees, and orphans. Encouraged by the success of this event, the HJC team hopes their charity will help many suffering children who deserve better. They are very close to their goal of raising $5,000. The Hope and Joy for Children team would like to acknowledge the South Asian Council of Social Services, a NY-based non-profit, for helping them process the check from Youth Service America, and for helping them make the event a success. Kudos to all the amazing, compassionate, and talented kids who participated at the event.

Youth Service America (YSA) helps young people find their voice, take action, and make an impact on vital community issues. When youth find their voice and take action together, they can make a lasting, positive change in the world.