Sarah Oliveira, an eighth grader from the Linden STEAM Academy, is the student ambassador who is representing the city of Malden for the Project 351 organization for the commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Project 351 is a nonprofit organization that chooses one ambassador from every city in Massachusetts (approximately 351 cities/towns). In this program, these students are given the opportunity to enhance their leadership skills along with enacting a change in their communities.
Last Saturday was the beginning of the clothing drive, Cradles to Crayons, which serves to help young people in need. Oliveira explained that once these donations are handed over to Cradles to Crayons, they will turn them into “care packages that include pants, shirts, toys and books” for children and teenagers, especially during the winter season where coats and snow boots are heavily essential for those in need.
Oliveira adds that “[it is] not just kids in Malden” who these donations are going to, but it is for “kids all across the commonwealth” in Massachusetts and about “thirty thousand children and students and teenagers are being benefited by the care packages at Cradles to Crayons.”
As for Oliveira, her favorite part of the project is “being rewarded with the smiles on the children’s faces after [they have] done good, [and she thinks] the most important part is when you contribute and give back to your community because [she is] so fortunate to have so much and [they do not] have enough.”
Looking towards the future, Oliveira will continue to be an ambassador representing the city of Malden at city-wide events along with other service projects still in the works. She went on to say she will come to give out a speech in support at a ceremony.
Oliveira claims that the goal that she and the others are trying to accomplish is “to collect as many donations as possible to help the children in need”.
Cradles to Crayons will be accepting anything from clothes to toys for newborns and infants to twelve year olds along with adults in small and medium. All of these donations can be dropped off at the Linden STEAM Academy through April 7th.
