Teen leader makes impact in her community
LAS CRUCES, New Mexico (KVIA) -- Shreeya Moolamalla, 12th grader at Mesilla Valley Christian School, is not your average teen as she is impacting her community through philanthropy.
Moolamalla is the founder and president of HandInHand, an organization she started less than two years ago that focuses on youth helping youth through activities like volunteering, fundraising, and creating education opportunities for children in the community.
Along with the help of the Community Foundation of Southern New Mexico, HandInHand seeks to develop teen leaders by creating a direct impact in their community through volunteer hours. "There's a big focus on connecting children with older youth, so they have some sense of mentorship. So we've really just been a conduit for them to connect with non-profits, connect with donors, and connect with fundraising here in the community," Terra Winter, President and CEO of the Community Foundation of Southern New Mexico said.
The work done by Moolamalla and her peers has provided access to needed resources for children in the community. Not only this, but the effort put into creating the organization has allowed Moolamalla to discover a love for business.
"There are children who probably can't afford a home or who have gone through unimaginable things in their lives, that education or specific opportunities or finding their passions is not the number one thing on their mind. So I feel like I wanted to do something that I can just go and give them that opportunity and show them that light," Moolamalla said.
