Preparing to Bundle Up

Chirag Manohar (VPA ’17) organized a group of Indian middle and elementary school students in an old-fashioned Bake Sale at Pittsburgh’s Indian Independence Day celebration, selling homemade American and Indian desserts. The sale raised $500, all of which was donated to Project Bundle-Up, which provides new winter outerwear for disadvantaged children and seniors throughout Western Pennsylvania.

For Chirag, there is little to be said of a simple, little bake sale, perhaps the most basic form of fundraising. But for her young charges who had never participated in such an event before, it was a mysterious process.
“When my mother, Anagha Manohar, created [Devdoots/Angels of MMPGH], she did it as a way to get the children of the Marathi community of Pittsburgh (most of whom come from rather affluent backgrounds) to give back and get involved. Most of these students, residing in wealthy school districts, have never had to fundraise before. At first I was skeptical about how excited I could get these children over a little bake sale. But sure enough, as we started to raise more money for the Project, the kids started to get more and more involved, energetically discussing the prospect of handing a ‘big check’ over to the charity. It was then that I realized that civic engagement doesn’t have to be this grand gesture; MMPGH was able to take a basic bake sale and affect real, sizable change with it. But to me, the real win, the real civic engagement, was not the size of the check, but rather the excitement I was able to inspire in those kids about giving back to the community. I hear that they’re already planning their charity project!”