Lilah had to come up with an “invention” as an extra credit project at the end of her first-grade year in May. She liked the idea of creating something with masks, since everyone had just started to wear them all the time and knew this was going to become our new normal. Lilah used colorful elastic bands to create a “Maskie” like a croakie for your mask – it clips onto the ear bands of your mask and then you can wear it like a necklace around your neck when it’s not on your face. The Maskie became an instant hit.

Lilah delivered Maskies to family, friends, friends of friends, teachers, and medical personnel all over the country who generously contributed to her fundraiser. Lilah, with the help of her family, made over 350 Maskies and doubled her fundraising goal.

During the height of the pandemic, Hailey, Bella, and Lucas who are rising stars used their platform to raise awareness and give back to their community. All three collectively have graced, TV, Film, Broadway and have taken the dance work by storm. They can be seen together as featured dancers in the Warner Bros. film, In the Heights, which came to theaters June 2021.

They teamed up to support No Kid Hungry and do their part to help end child hunger. When they learned that 1 in 6 children may go hungry due to impact of the Coronavirus, there was no question that this was the organization they wanted to stand behind.

After weeks of brainstorming, the three young artists launched a program called Smile Behind the Masks to help encourage children that are adjusting to wearing masks at schools, restaurants, grocery stores and more. They choreographed an inspiring dance to the song “You’re Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile”, by Sia. Hailey, Bella, and Lucas hope this message continues to remind children to keep smiling during these hard times. Artist and friends from around the country have joined by sharing their smile behind their favorite mask. Masks are key to helping prevent the spread of Covid-19 so we encourage everyone to keep wearing them with a big bright smile on the other side.

Giannina and Chris hosted a “Taco Extravaganza Fundraiser.” Together as a team they prepared the food and advertised it on social media. They exceeded their goal, raising over $850.00 with the support of their families, friends & community. It was team work all the way. In fact, they were so successful and had so many requests, they ended up hosting a second fundraiser.

Giannina said, “Overall, it was such a rewarding experience knowing that we’re helping end hunger in the U.S. We hope our efforts can help children in need specially during this pandemic crisis.”

Inspired by world events, like the COVID-19 pandemic and the battle against systemic racism, 8-year-olds Elle and Enzi wanted to do their part however small, so they started Petopia Pet Drawing Squad.

Elle and Enzi, two besties with big hearts created Petopia Pet Drawing Squad because they want to bring people joy while helping others. Elle and Enzi were used to seeing each other every day in school and playing after school and were missing each other during quarantine and stay-at-home orders. But they understood that this was a minor concern as they were learning about the extraordinary hardships of many families in their hometown of NYC. To stay connected and make a difference, Elle and Enzi with their love of drawing and of animals founded Petopia Pet Drawing Squad.  Since June 2020, Petopia Pet Drawing Squad offers hand-drawn replicas of your favorite pet photos for a suggested $20 donation.

If you’re looking for an adorable e-drawing of your dog, cat, fish, bunny, dolphin, alligator or whatever your favorite furry friend or precious pet may be, be sure to check out Petopia Pet Drawing Squad. Enzi’s favorite pets that he has drawn so far are Devon the Dolphin and Phoebe the Dog. His favorite part is “knowing that the pictures help raise money for charity.” Elle’s favorite pets that she has drawn are Buster the Bunny and Bubbles the Fish. Her favorite thing about this is “that we are helping to make the world a better place.”