Amid this time of pandemics, protests, and partisanship, there isn’t much good news out there.
But there is some. Take the Project Support Initiative.
Recently established by Virginia high schooler Akshath Mahajan and his friend Maneesh Vallurupalli, the project helps the “elderly and immuno-compromised by picking up their groceries and essentials and delivering them through no contact delivery.”
Mahajan told me that he “came up with this idea when my research mentor told me how he was scared to go get groceries as both him and his wife were quite elderly, and he didn’t want to bring the virus back to his house and put her life at risk. I offered to buy his groceries for him and asked him if he knew anyone else who would need help. He pointed me to some of his friends, and through word-of-mouth, the organization started to grow in my area, and I decided to officially name it Project Support Initiative. Since then, through the recommendation of my cousin, I posted about our initiative on Reddit, and the response was amazing with over thirty requests for forming new chapters from 20 states and two countries.”
So far, the rapidly growing project has 21 national chapters, a chapter in the Philippines, and 150 volunteers.
Mahajan adds that “the best reaction has been from the elderly, they love our services, and it really makes our volunteers’ day when they get thanked for their efforts.”
Kansas City chapter leader Jacob Williamson shares the sentiment. “This pandemic has taught us a great deal about how to care for people that otherwise may go unnoticed.” Williamson added that although the virus “has taken a lot from us, [it] has given us great perspective on who needs assistance. Project Support Initiative is one of the unique ways to make an impact in small communities.”
We should take inspiration from these young Americans.
Their voluntary efforts are protecting citizens at risk of the worst coronavirus outcomes. At the same time, the project’s hundreds of officers are gaining formative experience in public service. And their service isn’t solitary. The project fits with a broader portfolio of young patriots who are working to improve their communities amid the pandemic. The students at LexGen, for example, are expanding access to remote civics education material. Perhaps we shouldn’t fear for the nation’s future, after all?
The project’s website can be found here.
