New notebooks. 

Colorful pens and markers.

Pencil pouches.

All of these mark the start of a new thrilling school year for many. But for some children, this excitement is overshadowed by the reality of their economic situation: not having the resources to access school supplies. It’s the inspiration that led juniors Riti Patel and Adithri Raghuram to take action and try to make a difference in their community. 

“I got the idea for the organization after hosting as a mentor for underprivileged Girl Scouts,” Patel said. “During the crafts portion, I realized that a lot of girls (aged 8-13) didn’t know how to use basic school supplies like scissors. My troop leader told me that these girls never got the opportunity to use tools like these daily, which sparked an interest in me. I decided I would try to provide access to school supplies for less fortunate kids and try to alleviate the financial burden placed on those families.”

For Raghuram, the idea of taking action came from both her passion for helping others and from noticing that not all of her classmates had the same access to school supplies as she did growing up. 

“I have always loved and enjoyed being a part of the community. One of my core values is helping others and giving back,” Raghuram said. “As a kid, I loved going back to school shopping, specifically getting new and fun supplies. However, I remember noticing some students in my class barely having the necessities. Riti and I were talking about ways we could make an impact on the community, and this was an idea that truly spoke to both of us.” 

Thus, the idea for Supplying Smiles was born: a nonprofit organization dedicated to bridging the gap in education by ensuring that every child has the necessary tools to succeed. 

“Supplying Smiles’ mission is to raise funds and provide school supplies for underprivileged children, ensuring that every child has the necessary tools to succeed in their education,” Patel said. “The organization is dedicated to supporting students in need by addressing the lack of basic educational resources, with a focus on creating equal opportunities for all children to thrive academically.”

This organization has already started to leave a mark on bridging this gap since just this summer, Raghuram and Patel raised over $400 through a refreshment stand and used the funds to purchase and donate school supplies to several schools in Dallas and Frisco ISD.

“Throughout this summer we hosted a refreshment stand with lemonade, freezer pops, Caprisun, and water at parks,” Raghuram said. “Through this, we interacted with a lot of people and raised over $400 for school supplies. Additionally, the last week of summer we went out and purchased supplies that we donated the following day to an elementary school in Dallas ISD and multiple schools in Frisco ISD.” 

Though Patel’s participation in pageants began after the founding of Supplying Smiles, her platform has since become a tool for spreading awareness. Through pageantry, she has been able to reach a larger audience, gathering more support for their fundraising campaigns.

“I founded this organization with my cofounder, Adithri, before I competed in my first pageant,” Patel said. “However, my pageant platform allows me to spread awareness to a larger audience and have more support during my fundraising campaigns.”

These juniors have high hopes for their organization in the future. Raghuram plans to raise awareness and funds and create a lasting impact on the educational experiences of underprivileged children. 

“We plan to host many more fundraisers to help students in need,” Raghuram said. “We have a lot of ideas for events and drives that will help fulfill our mission. Our goal is to expand our impact and reach out to a greater number of students.”

According to Patel, the work of Supplying Smiles is much more than just a charitable effort: the organization serves as a heartfelt mission and a powerful reminder of why she is passionate about this work.

“Witnessing the kids’ faces light up as they received their new supplies was the most heartwarming experience I’ve ever had,” Patel said. “It made me realize that this is precisely why I do what I do.