WESTFIELD — Westfield High School senior Asha Adhikari is the founder of Project HOPE.
The club works with Hoosiers experiencing homelessness.
Service is Adhikari’s calling.
“It’s almost in my blood. I wanted to see what sort of impact I could make," she said.
She created the action-based service club in her freshman year to support homeless people living in Central Indiana.
She educates her peers on the link between addiction, job loss and housing insecurity.
“Kids in Westfield care because we want to use our privileged position to help people outside of our community as well as be aware that people in our community are experiencing it as well," Adhikari said.
Project HOPE has three main goals: educate, donate and volunteer.
“We raise donations to make tie blankets. We donate those to shelters in Central Indiana," she said. “We’ll get groups together and go down to Gleaners Food Bank, or I’ve gone to Grace Care Center a lot this year.”
Adhikari is the recipient of the 32nd Annual Hamilton County Youth Service Award.
The award is given to students who are committed to being drug and alcohol free and are leaders in their community.
“We need the youth to be involved in their community and their school. It helps them grow obviously, but it just really builds them as a person," Hamilton County Council on Alcohol and Other Drugs Executive Director Monica Greer said.
Adhikari received a $1,000 scholarship.
She'll be heading to IU Bloomington in the fall and plans to continue her journey of service in college.
“I’m considering studying nonprofit management or law and public policy, with a minor in community health. Health disparities are one of the biggest things that I’m focused on and want to tackle," she said.
