16-year-old devotes life to serving community, donates thousands of goods to fight COVID-19
COATESVILLE, Pa. -- Teenagers may be the leaders of tomorrow, but 16-year-old Gobind Singh is making his mark today.
The incoming junior at Downingtown S.T.E.M. Academy has gone above and beyond to fight COVID-19, donating thousands of PPE and hundreds of food items to hospitals and other establishments.
"My family has been involved in volunteer work ever since I can remember," said Gobind, whose charity aspirations began before the global pandemic.
His parents, Kulraj Singh and Nareej Gaind, were both born in India. Coming to America for a better life, they teach their children to value their blessings and give back to their community.
That's why Gobind created a nonprofit, "Our World's Animals," to support the rights of bulls in his parents' motherland.
In April of 2020, his idea quickly expanded to include "Our World's People," which has since donated 3,000 personal protective equipment items in 12 states and seven countries.
"If we're going to be home from school, it's our job as the youth of America to give back to our community," said Gobind.
That's why he started making a difference in his basement, handcrafting over 400 face shields.
With the support of his community and a part-time job, Gobind is now funding an all-out effort to keep hospitals and other establishments stocked with the proper tools.
"Until Corona is over, it's our job to not stop. Because if we stop and we only give temporary aid, then we didn't make as much of an impact as we could if we kept going," he said.
Hospitals are particularly grateful for the 16-year-old's motivation. Recently, Gobind donated 2,000 face masks to Brandywine Hospital.
"Things changed with the onset of COVID-19. We had to make a lot of arrangements to make sure that our patients continued to receive the best care possible," said Vik Acharya, the Chief Operating Officer of Brandywine Hospital. "This generous contribution helps us advance our mission even further."
COO Acharya notes that locals are beginning to return to the hospital for non-COVID-related visits, such as elective procedures. He assures that enhanced safety measures have made the hospital a safe place for people to continue seeking out the care they need independently of the novel virus.
He was impressed by Gobind's motivation and believes he will have success in the future. After high school, Gobind has his sights set on studying medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, becoming a surgeon to bring his life's devotion full circle.
He is currently looking for more teenagers and young adults to help him. To learn more about Gobind Singh's mission, visit his fundraiser page.
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