Students in Uvalde coping with the tragedy at Robb Elementary School are getting support from miles away, including two children helping put together grief kits for the community.
Anaik Sachdev, 10, and his mother, Anjleen, created an Arizona-based nonprofit called Loving Library, a donor book program for communities in need.
Anaik thought of the idea when his grandmother was hospitalized with COVID-19, and reading became a way for his family to overcome isolation.
“I used to visit my grandmother so much, and now she’s in the hospital, so it was hard,” said Anaik. “I thought she could read books to pass time, and she did.”
When the mass shooting at Robb Elementary occurred, the nonprofit contacted its Dallas chapter to create the kits for children in the Uvalde school district.
Anaik’s 13-year-old friend, Sia Sankaran, lives in North Texas and is the ambassador of the chapter. The children decided they wanted to put together up to 800 kits for the Uvalde children.
“It kind of brings together a lot of passionate readers and brings the passion together to help the community,” said Sia.
They started their drive in mid-June and, in coordination with the San Antonio Area Foundation and the Education Service Center Region 20, have amassed hundreds of books, coloring books and journals that will be donated to Uvalde on Thursday.
“There’s an activity book, a journal in each grief kit, and we hope it might help them escape some loneliness and sadness,” said Anaik.
“The journal so they can write their feelings down or a coloring book because some kids might not want to journal. That’s what we hope will help,” said Sia.
Both children said they are heartbroken over what happened in Uvalde and hope this brings some comfort.
“It could have been me there or someone I knew or loved, and I just wanted to help them,” said Sia.
“From that day on, I just felt so sad for them and their siblings who are so brave,” said Anaik. “All the sadness that happened doesn’t fully go away. I want to help because they were my age, and this is kids helping kids.”
The nonprofit will still accept donations after its delivery to Uvalde. For more information, click here.