Ambassadors for Christ aiming at helping those in need

With the help of Vijay Ramakrishnan ’22, Malvern students are voluntarily aiding in charity work around the Philadelphia area.

After listening to a meeting of a subgroup of the Rotary Club, Ramakrishnan wanted to start a service group at Malvern.

“I went to one of their meetings and they said they were interested in opening an interactive club, which is basically a student high school version of their club,” he said.

Although Ramakrishnan wanted to start the club late last year, COVID-19 imposed a problem, pushing the introduction date back. With help from Mrs. Gabriella Toth, Math Teacher and Christian Service Coordinator, Ramakrishnan was able to begin the club in November.

“I got started with Mrs. Toth in mid-October. Then we got it up and running by the beginning of November and we’ve done a bunch of service opportunities since,” Ramakrishnan said.

The group helped out at the Church of Good Samaritan the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Ramakrishna reflects on the night, happy that he could experience it with other Malvern Students.

“We gave turkey and food to people who couldn’t buy it. It was a great experience. It felt good because we got to meet the people we were helping,” he said.

Ramakrishnan hopes that students who are involved in the club are compassionate in helping other people outside of the Malvern community. 

“They just get the feeling that they helped others outside of Malvern Prep,” Ramakrishnan said. “We are a very privileged group of kids, so it’s nice to see that we can help those who aren’t as lucky.”

The club hopes to gather more members, especially those in different grades. They also want to focus on continuing their service trips and make it lasting at Malvern.

“I want to spread throughout the grades. I want to do bigger projects that don’t have a maximum number because of [COVID-19] restrictions. I also want to make sure it’s there after I leave,” Ramakrishnan said.