ABOUT ME
ABOUT ME
ABOUT ME...
I'm Aavya, a middle-schooler in California.
I am a singer, artist, dancer, writer, and a book lover. My first "job" at Pumpkin Letters was to make drawings and write letters and my older brother Arnav managed the community.
Over the last year, I have taking on a more active role on the operations side–recruiting volunteers, connecting with care homes, and reaching even more elders. I even applied for and received a grant for $500 from MEF to start a Pumpkin Letters club in my school.
AND MY Co-Founder
I'm Arnav, currently a sophomore at UC Berkeley. I started Pumpkin Letters when I was a high school junior, with my sister Aavya. I'm actively involved in my school and community as a guitarist/performer for our Rock and Jazz bands, participant in various clubs and organizations, an intern for a local political campaign, and juggling course work in Data Science and entrepreneurship.
THE STORY OF PUMPKIN LETTERS
We knew that our grandparents were really missing seeing us during the COVID-19 shelter-in-place, so we started writing letters and cards and dropping off to them regularly. This was in April 2020.
We realized that just like our grandparents, there were so many other grandparents and seniors who couldn't see their grandkids and were lonely. So, we made colorful cards and sent packages of letters and notes to some assisted living and hospice facilities. We were overwhelmed with the outpouring of appreciation for our very small act and their requests for more letters.
That's why we started Pumpkin Letters so we could connect other kids, who wanted to help, with elders in need of some warmth and cheer to brighten up their day!
Fast Forward to
DECEMBER 2023
Thanks to all the creative volunteers, we have brightened up the days of more than 1670 elders with our letters, art, and cards in the last 3 years.
