Like other clubs at Newtown High School, the UNICEF Club has been meeting virtually and working online to further its efforts this year, and club founder Nidhi Mukka wants the community to know “they can also do something” to help others.

Nidhi started the club last school year. Now, as a senior, Nidhi shared in a recent phone interview, “I really wanted to start a club that was helping people in the community and outside the community.”

When thinking of what club she could start, Nidhi remembered the Trick-or-Treat United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) boxes fondly.

“I really loved their cause of helping children all over the world who can’t get resources themselves,” Nidhi explained.

So, Nidhi said, she applied with NHS to start the new club. After the club was accepted, Nidhi began recruiting members. She told all of her friends and asked them to tell their friends about the club, too.

“It started off pretty strong. All the people I had told, most of them showed up,” Nidhi remembered.

Since the club formed in October, it distributed Trick-or-Treat UNICEF boxes to collect donations for the organization last year. According to UNICEF, it delivers “the essentials that give every child an equitable chance in life: health care and immunizations, safe water and sanitation, nutrition, education, emergency relief, and more. UNICEF USA advances the global mission of UNICEF by rallying the American public to support the world’s most vulnerable children. Together, we have helped save more children’s lives than any other humanitarian organization.” The NHS October drive collected roughly $600 for the cause, according to Nidhi.

This school year, Nidhi said the club has been meeting virtually and organizers post information in a Google Classroom for the club members to stay connected.

“We are just trying to focus on advocacy right now,” said Nidhi, adding that the group has an Instagram account, “nhsunicefclub,” and it hopes to use the account to share information on ways to help.

The NHS UNICEF Club has 22 student members, according to Nidhi. As part of her Senior Capstone project this year, Nidhi said she is also working to build the club by encouraging younger members to join, to pass on the legacy of the club.

“I really just want to show people in Newtown that they can also do something,” Nidhi said. “They can donate, they can spread the word, too, and any little thing helps.”

The club has a Go Fund Me page set up online, charity.gofundme.com/o/en/campaign/newtownunicefclub, and Nidhi said all of the proceeds “go directly to UNICEF.”