Siblings use big heart for service to pay it forward during pandemic

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    Johns Creek, GA (Gwinnett Daily Post) — Chattahoochee High School students Dhruv and Medhini Anand are spending their time finding unique ways to pay it forward during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The brother and sister hope to one day work in the medical field, but over the past few weeks they have managed to raise money, feed the hungry, and even record Public Service Announcements and a music video for causes close to their hearts.

“Once the COVID-19 pandemic hit, we knew we didn’t just want to sit idly by while we knew that people’s lives were being affected for the worse and we could take steps to help them get better, even if just a little,” Dhruv said.

Dhurv, a rising senior at Chattahoochee High, has been working with an organization called COVID IQ, which is running a digital platform people can sign up for by text that informs health care organizations about the spread of COVID-19 in specific communities and helps them determine the need for testing.

In March, Dhruv also participated with a local urgent care in Johns Creek to record a PSA about COVID-19 about the symptoms and other information that was available at the time about the virus.

“We’re just doing what we can to make sure the people in the Metro Atlanta area and beyond don’t get too hurt by this pandemic,” Dhruv said. “We just thought there was work to be done and wanted to take part in that.”

Dhurv and Medhini have since focused their efforts on providing food and supplies to the hungry.

Medhini, a rising junior at Chattahoochee High, said they delivered food to North Fulton Community Charities that they collected from the community as part of a food drive. Additionally, they are part of an ongoing initiative to prepare 60 nutritious meals every week to feed the hungry in downtown Atlanta.

“Both of us were born and raised in the metro Atlanta area,” Medhini said. “We’ve been lucky to live in such a beautiful place and to have so many opportunities. One of the things we noticed as the pandemic and quarantining became longer and more businesses started to shut down is that while our family may be comfortable in our own home and have food, other families may not have the same benefits and resources.

“We realized this was something we had always taken for granted. We had to do something for our community and the people who live here. We couldn’t just stand there and do nothing as all of this was happening.”

But their heart for service extends goes beyond the local community and beyond the current pandemic.

The brother and sister are members of Student Leadership Johns Creek and used their time during quarantine to record a music video for the Music For Life program of Access Life America. The music video helped raise more than $800 toward childhood cancer research.

Access Life America is based out of India, with one of their biggest centers located in Atlanta. The nonprofit provides transportation and a sterile environment to kids in rural India for cancer treatment who don’t normally have access to those resources.

“I’m actually very surprised at all of the positive feedback we’re getting and all of the people that really care about this cause, especially all of our friends who ended up donating,” Dhruv said.

This summer, both siblings plan to continue their efforts and volunteer at the American Red Cross.

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