Two KCKPS Sisters Turn Halloween into a Season of Giving

This Halloween, two Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools students traded trick-or-treating for an opportunity to make a difference in their community.

Oviya Pugazhendhi, a student at Sumner Academy, and her younger sister, Niralya, a student at Rosedale Middle School, chose to celebrate Halloween a little differently this year. 

Rather than going door to door collecting candy, the sisters decided to give back by helping families in need, turning a night of costumes and candy into an opportunity to spread kindness and make a meaningful impact in their community.

Oviya took the lead in organizing a GoFundMe campaign that raised $1,000 for Harvesters, the community food network that serves a 27-county area across northwestern Missouri and northeastern Kansas.

Together, the sisters also collected non-perishable food donations, bringing their combined impact to approximately 3,000 meals for families in the Kansas City, Kansas community.

The donated food items were delivered to Rosedale Middle School and received by Family and Community Engagement Specialist (FACES) Coordinator Shelley Coulter. 

The collection will be part of Rosedale Middle School’s Thanksgiving Family Gift Basket initiative, which will help support 53 families this holiday season.

“Our students, families, staff, and community partners understand that caring for one another extends well beyond the classroom. When there is a need, someone always finds a way to help meet it,” said Coulter. 

The Pugazhendhi sisters are perfect examples of students who recognized a need in their community and took action to help others.

“These two young ladies remind us that you are never too young to make a difference. Their kindness, leadership, and willingness to serve others deserve to be celebrated,” added Coulter.