Fremont Teen Places First in National Contest For Helping Senior Citizens

A Press Release from Farm Rich:

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. (Nov. 8, 2012) – From preparing senior citizens for earthquakes to combating prescription drug abuse, the four recent winners of the 2012 Kids Who Give contest, sponsored by Farm Rich, have created innovative solutions to address challenges within their communities and beyond.

Kids Who Give (www.kidswhogive.com) is a national program focused on young people, ages 7-17, who dedicate their time and energy to improving the lives of others. The contest awards quarterly winners with contributions to their favorite causes. All quarterly winners from 2012 will be entered into an online voting competition in early 2013 to be eligible to receive a $10,000 grand prize.

Each quarterly first place winner receives $3,500, with the second and third place winners receiving $1,500 and $1,000, respectively. Honorable mention is awarded a $250 gift card.

The Kids Who Give winners for the period ending Sept. 30, 2012 are:

First Place: Rohan Chandra, 17, Fremont, Calif.

When Rohan Chandra realized the senior citizen community would be especially vulnerable if an earthquake struck in his area, he created the Earthquake Preparedness for Seniors (EPS) project. With the help of bi-lingual seniors, he developed a multi-lingual safety instruction guide available in English, Spanish, Mandarin, Hindi, Farsi and Tagalog – the most common languages used in the San Francisco Bay area. Rohan has raised more than $10,000 for the cause, distributed more than 1,000 copies of the guide and assembled and distributed 250 earthquake kits to local seniors.

Second Place: Neha Gupta, 16, Yardley, Pa.

Inspired by her experience as a volunteer at an orphanage in India, Neha Gupta founded Empower Orphans, a nonprofit organization that provides education and healthcare to orphaned and disadvantaged children around the world. Neha has raised more than $750,000, which was used to open five libraries, set up three computer labs and a sewing center. Neha also organized an eye and dental clinic to treat 360 children, donated 60 van loads of furniture to Pennsylvania families in need and installed a water well and purification system that gave 20,000 villagers access to safe drinking water.

Third Place: Jordyn Schara, 17, North Freedom, Wis.

As a 14-year-old, Jordyn Schara started Foundation HOPE (Helping Our Peers Excel). This nonprofit organization launched Project READ (Reading Equipment for America’s Defenders), in which Jordyn organized her community to send more than 1,800 pounds of reading material to troops overseas. Jordyn also lead the Wisconsin Prescription Pill and Drug Disposal (WI P2D2) project, which educated the public about prescription drug abuse and how to properly dispose of unwanted drugs through collection programs and 24/7 drug disposal boxes. Comics 4 Change (C4C), Jordyn’s third community service project, established comic book libraries in her school district to engage struggling young readers so they develop the critical skills necessary to read more challenging works.

Honorable Mention/”Pat on the Back Award”: Max Wallack, 16, Natick, Mass.

From caring for his great-grandmother who had Alzheimer’s disease, Max Wallack learned that puzzles were used to calm patients. He was motivated to help others with this disease and in 2007, Max founded Puzzles to Remember. Since then, his organization has distributed more than 15,000 puzzles to 1,500 nursing homes and veteran intuitions that care for Alzheimer’s and dementia patients around the world. Recognizing a need for more simple puzzles with large pieces and tranquil, memory-provoking images, Max collaborated with Springbok Puzzles to create the Puzzles To Remember® line. Max is currently a sophomore at Boston University and also works as a research intern in the Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics Laboratory at Boston Medical Center.    

“The projects developed by these young people are truly remarkable,” said Jennifer Meetz, Farm Rich director of marketing. “We couldn’t be more impressed with their ingenuity and determination to make a difference, and we’re so proud and excited to be able to support their efforts with these awards.”

Visit www.kidswhogive.com to find out more about the contest. The deadline for the fall/winter quarter is Dec. 31, 2012, and applications are now being accepted.

About Farm Rich

A leading brand of Rich Products Corporation, Farm Rich (www.farmrich.com) is based in St. Simons Island, Ga., and features a successful portfolio of frozen snacks and appetizer products sold at grocery and club stores nationwide. Featuring the tagline, “Keep ‘em Happy,” Farm Rich makes wholesome, great-tasting snacks that are sure to please family and friends. More at www.farmrich.com.