Vernon Hills High School senior’s Kit Outreach delivers hygiene products to those in need

Vernon Hills High School senior Siddharth Avula hopes to live in a world where access to hygiene products is a human right, not a privilege.

That’s why the 17-year-old founded The Kit Outreach — a nonprofit dedicated to reducing hygiene poverty in local communities — in November 2023. His organization has been raising money by hosting children's soccer camps and gaining exposure through partnerships with the village of Vernon Hills, giving a helping hand to many Chicago-area homeless and people in transitional housing.

“Oftentimes, these people overlook their personal hygiene as they have to focus on buying necessities like food and water, leading to many deadly diseases,” Avula said.

Recently, Avula’s helping hand has extended beyond the Chicago area. In July, The Kit Outreach gathered volunteers to help pack and distribute hygiene kits to Vivekananda Public School in Hyderabad, India, which runs entirely on donations. Following the success of the July campaign, volunteers again came together to send 112 reusable menstrual pads to girls at the school who have limited access to period care.

“We actually didn’t mail anything. I was able to gather family and volunteers who live in Hyderabad to buy products in bulk to donate to the school,” Avula said.

After graduating from high school, Avula plans to take his organization to the next level by establishing chapters in multiple schools. Through them, Avula will be able to reach a larger audience.

“I aim to create a system where each chapter operates under a unified mission but is empowered to take local action and organize their own community outreach events, fostering leadership among young volunteers,” Avula said.

For more information about how you can contribute to Avula’s mission, visit The Kit Outreach at www.thekitoutreach.com.