Last year, a dedicated team of seventh-grade students from Westside Neighborhood School made Operation Walk the focus for their SPLASH (Solving Problems for Los Angeles’ Society and Health) project. During that year, they learned about our organization, assisted in packing supplies, raised funds, and created discharge kits for our missions to both the Philippines and Cuba.
This year, Haley Ahir, Ethan Chang, Alex Melendez, and Madison Yamaguchi are in 8th grade and have transitioned to their SWIM team. The students continue their efforts to support our organization and have added gathering durable medical equipment for our Cuban patients to their list of accomplishments.
Even though they are too young to volunteer on a mission, they continue to make a difference, share our vision, and build a network of new philanthropists in our city. Below is an update on their latest project.
The WNS (Westside Neighborhood School) SWIM (Solutionary Work In Motion) team—Madison Yamaguchi, Ethan Chang, Haley Ahir, and Alex Melendez—designed and assembled post-op bags filled with essential toiletries for patients in Cuba. They also contributed by packing cargo and organizing donated durable medical equipment (DME) collected from Verdugo Hills Hospital’s Rehabilitation Department and Orthopedic Clinic.