Gen Z Highlight: Dartmouth Middle School’s CJSF Fundraising
Covid-19 has been difficult for all of us. From staying home to online school, we have all been affected by it. But many have felt much more strain from the virus. The homeless population in Silicon Valley has been critically hurt by the stay at home orders. They have struggled to find shelter, clean water, power ports, and many more essentials, while volunteers delivering food to the homeless camps have decreased because of Covid-19 too.
Shaunn Cartwright, a San Jose homeless advocate said this on San Jose Spotlight[1]: “There’s a decrease in food going out to the camps and there’s an inability for a lot of people to actually go to where food is.” But in San Jose, Silicon Valley Strong is trying to provide relief to “Silicon Valley’s most vulnerable residents, small businesses and nonprofits.”[2] They have raised over $20 Million, and that number continues to grow.
Dartmouth Middle School and How They Are Raising Money
Students at Dartmouth Middle School’s California Junior Scholarship Federation (CJSF) are fundraising for Silicon Valley Strong by selling masks. They hope to raise at least 1 thousand dollars, and all of the profit will go towards Silicon Valley Strong.
Help raise money for Silicon Valley Strong while keeping yourself safe by buying a mask here: Store. More information is on the website!
“Do your part, join us with heart!”
Who is running this?
The fundraising group at Dartmouth Middle School’s CJSF is run by Gen Zer’s, with a teacher overseeing the process. 6 members are currently involved, with many more set to join as the operation grows.
Anvit Mishra is an 8th grader in Dartmouth Middle School who is passionate about helping the community. He also is Dartmouth MS's ASB Treasurer. His vision is that building a strong community is important to make a strong support system.
Zoya Brahimzadeh is an 8th Grader at Dartmouth Middle School and Vice President of CJSF. She's passionate about giving back to the community and working with technology. She hopes that no matter what, the outcome of this fundraiser is that they at least impact one person’s life who is struggling due to the pandemic and/or homelessness. She enjoys spending her free time planning trips, reading poetry or playing with her dog, Cleo.
Abigail White is the secretary of Dartmouth’s 2020-2021 CJSF program. She is interested in helping serve the community and increasing social awareness of current issues. She enjoys spending time with family and friends, playing basketball, and annoying her chihuahua, Lola.
Michelle La is the 2020 Dartmouth Middle School Co-President of CJSF. She is committed to serving her community through this endeavor and is always eager to help. In her spare time, she enjoys playing piano and writing.
David Tran is a perky, compassionate, and kind person. He enjoys drawing and playing games in his free time, as if to take himself into another reality.
Gautam Khajuria is part of the Dartmouth MS CJSF Fundraising Committee. He is dedicated to helping out the community through fundraising and technology. Gautam loves technology and plays the trombone in his free time.
Why should I donate or purchase a mask?
This fundraiser is all for Silicon Valley Strong. If you donate, you will be helping out those less fortunate by providing them with the money they need, especially in this time of need. 100% of our profits will go to Silicon Valley Strong.
The masks will contain cool artwork that will change every month, starting in March and ending in May. Each month, the mask artwork will be from a different type of school. March will feature artwork from middle schoolers, in grades 6-8. April will show art from elementary schoolers, from grades 1 to 5. Finally, in May, there will be artwork from high school students, from grades 9 to 12. This artwork will be from all students in San Jose, and beyond.
Plus, larger orders and donations will have special perks. This can include a special box for your mask, and a spot on our list of special donators on our website and social media posts.
I want to submit artwork!
That’s great! If you are interested in submitting artwork, it must meet the following requirements:
Maximum Art Size is 4 inches by 2.75 inches (DOES NOT NEED TO COVER ENTIRE AREA)
4 colors maximum
Max image size of 4 Megabytes
Must be .png file format
MUST BE DIGITAL ARTWORK
Should be simplistic
Background Color is black
Artwork must have a transparent background (default on .png)
References COVID/pandemic struggles, and/or homelessness
Name must be provided separately, cannot be on the artwork
The theme is ‘Covid-19/homelessness’, and you can use this link; Custom Ink Editor to edit it.
This sounds really cool, what’s the timeline?
The logo contest will open on January 15, with a link to the submission form on our website. Preorders will open in March, and more information will be on our website or through our email service if you sign up for it.
We will have different artworks each month, each from students of different age groups. We might make this into an annual event as well!
We hope to expand the operation each year, creating different products and partnering with more and more organizations. We hope you can help those less privileged, and associate yourself with us!
- Signed, the Dartmouth Middle School California Junior Scholarship Federation Fundraising Committee
Sources:
[1]: https://sanjosespotlight.com/san-jose-homeless-struggle-to-get-necessities-during-covid-19-shutdown/
[2]: https://www.sanjoseca.gov/Home/Components/News/News/1097/4699
