Recently, senior Isabella Boparai from Bellevue High School established the nonprofit, Ready Bag Foundation. The mission of her nonprofit organization is to offer a wide range of everyday items including school supplies, books, and jackets, to those who might not be able to afford them. She hopes that by giving access to these materials, children will be able to thrive in society and will be set up for success. As the Founder and Executive Director, Boparai has dedicated herself to providing underprivileged children with the necessary supplies for their academic success and well-being.

“I was looking for something to spend my time on in the summer and I stumbled upon an article saying that 15 million children didn’t have access to school supplies. This was a heartbreaking statistic, and I began thinking about how when I was younger, back to school shopping was a novelty and something I always looked forward to. There was just some joy in picking out a notebook or some pens at my local Target. I wanted children to be able to experience this and get their own school supplies too, no matter their financial situation. So, I wanted to make a difference in the community, and I began the Ready Bag Foundation,” Boparai said.

However, she is not alone in this mission. Boparai is joined by her fellow classmates, seniors Alexa LaMoria and Sophia Audia, as well as her friend, Rachelle Rozet, who attends Sammamish High School. LaMoria is Community Outreach Director for the foundation. She has a love for philanthropy and has been involved in her community through National Charity League, a nonprofit encouraging community service and involvement for mothers and daughters, ever since 6th grade. Audia is Development Director for the foundation. She is also an active member of National Charity League and is committed to making a positive difference in the community. She creates fundraising plans, builds strong ties with other philanthropic groups, and manages the organization of different events. Rozet is Financial Advisor for the foundation. She is involved in her community through her Jewish youth group, and she provides financial guidance and support to Ready Bag Foundation.

“As Development Director, my role is to create and implement strategies to fund Ready Bag Foundation. I help with fundraising and finding donors, and oversee the entire organization to sustain and continue growing the organization with relations within the Bellevue community. I really enjoy my role for this nonprofit, and although I don’t get to see the people I am helping, the process itself is so rewarding to me,” Audia said.

This past summer, Ready Bag Foundation held bake sales at the local Downtown Bellevue Park to raise awareness in the community and to raise money. With all the money they raised, the organization donated the earnings to Mary’s Place, a homeless shelter in Seattle helping families get out of difficult situations. Currently, they are working to raise more money for their next project. Ready Bag Foundation is hoping to build and donate 100 backpacks filled with various items like pencils, notebooks, crayons, and more. They are currently in progress on raising $3000 for these backpacks and they will be donating them to the Kids in Need Foundation, a charity that ensures every child is prepared to learn and succeed in the classroom by providing free school supplies nationally to students most in need.

“In the future, I see Ready Bag Foundation bringing change in the Bellevue community. I hope one day we can become a hub where families in need can receive help. I see the organization expanding beyond school supplies to other items like blankets, food, and water, to give the community anything it needs,” Boparai said.

Boparai’s involvement in the community is not only seen in the nonprofit she created. She is also connected to many other local nonprofit organizations like Friendship Circle of Washington, where she regularly volunteers for special needs children. In addition, she is also a highly involved student at Bellevue High School where she is in many clubs, in addition to establishing the Ready Bag Foundation club at school.

You can make a difference in the community just like Boparai! Visit readybagfoundation.com to learn more and make a donation.