By Arijit Basu
The community is important to all of us, and with the present COVID-19 pandemic leaving the world in a state of shock – with devastating physical, emotional, and mental turmoil affecting everyone from children and young adults to middle aged and elderly populations – all of us are busy saving individual lives.
With this in mind, as well as the growing importance of social distancing and hygiene that has made wearing protective personal equipment into the “New Normal,” younger generations in Memphis, Tennessee have sensed the growing alert and planned an approach to help our county’s community. A Community Engagement Platform for kids, founded by Middle & Elementary school leaders from Shelby County founded the Memphis Dreamers group.
At the head of the Memphis Dreamers group are Aryaman Pagoria, a 5th grader from Dogwood Elementary school, Om Raddi, a 5th grader from Bon Lin Elementary School, and Sanaya Goel, a 1st grader from Crosswind Elementary School. The other team members of this newly formed group are Myra Chowdhuri, Iesha Raddi, Vivan Goel, Ahana Pagoria and Aana Patel. This bundle of young, talented kids expressed their individual thoughts with their peer groups, worked on the ideas together, and laid out an elaborate plan of action for the community as a whole.
Aryaman Pagoria, the founder, has worked diligently to help people, even extending their efforts beyond the borders of Memphis and Shelby County to spread this support to the rest of the world. His focus has been to come forward with the Dreamers and help those individuals and families who are suffering the most during this pandemic. Their concerns are to help uplift their spirits, listen patiently to their problems, and find ways to address them. By caring for people in need, they can do what is best for the entire human race. Aryaman wants children, whether they are his age, younger, or older, to join the Memphis Dreamers in helping our community and healing the world.
Social Media
- Facebook: Memphis Dreamers
- Instagram: Memphis Dreamers
- YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCLFep7RA2LAVc11hLfQvew?view_as=subscriber
- COVID – 19 Video Link – https://drive.google.com/file/d/12Fd6JnKh-Y2U49pvOSyzHE2O_cJttL3t/view?usp=sharing
How to Help:
- Donation Drive for Nanhi Kali Foundation – https://www.nanhikali.org/mahindra-foundation-usa/
- Supply drive for Mid-South Food Bank
- Supply drive for Hope House Memphis
- Memphis Refugee Empowerment Program (R.E.P)
- Community service in collaboration with Indian Community Fund for Greater Memphis
Their efforts are so rejuvenating. They are showing that humanity is not lost – there is a place in their hearts, and everyone’s, for love. With this project, we can only hope to build a better and brighter world for tomorrow. The Memphis Dreamers feel that to love is to care, and to care is to share, creating a strong and fearless community.
Arijit Basu is a Sr. Clinical Research Data Analyst for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital as well as TOI NRI Associate at The Times of India.