In Chelsea, three middle schoolers are proving that age is not a barrier to making a real difference. Instead of waiting to grow up to be heard, they’re using their voices and their vision right now. Charlie Cigan, Ellie Hurst, and Norah Hurst, all 7th graders, recently launched a charity called 100 Kids Who Care. Inspired by the adult group 100 Women Who Care, the students built a kids’ version with a similar concept. Once a month, members under the age of 18 meet up, each bringing $20. During the meeting, three students present different charities or nonprofit organizations, and after hearing the pitches, everyone votes on where the money should go. It’s a big idea for such young founders and it comes from an even bigger goal.
“We noticed that there weren’t a lot of kids in our community that have an opportunity to contribute like that,” N. Hurst said. “So we decided that maybe it would be a good idea to start 100 Kids Who Care to go on 100 Women Who Care.”
And even while their mission is clear and the structure is solid, the biggest challenge has been growing the group. So far, only a small number of students have attended meetings, and high school involvement has been especially scarce. Only three CHS students have shown up, leaving the group far from its goal of 100 kids.
“We’ve been disappointed,” Cigan said. “I just want more people to join us and support the community. The more people that come, the more money we get to save up and give to fundraisers.”
Their goal is simple: the more kids who join, the more powerful the group becomes and the more of a positive impact they will be able to leave on the community. Not just in terms of money, but in the ability to shine a spotlight on important causes.
“We hope to leave a positive impact on people who need these donations,” N. Hurst said. “To help these charities that run off of donations, and to help families who aren’t as fortunate as some of the kids who are part of this community.”
Even with limited attendance, the group has already begun making donations, and the organizations they’ve helped have expressed gratitude.
“Our first round of donations went to faith and action; they were very grateful about the donation,” E. Hurst said. “They said donations like that allow them to keep their non-profit running.”
But they know that recruiting more high school students could be the real turning point. Older students tend to have wider social circles, greater influence on social media, and more ability to spread the word.
“If high schoolers were coming to these meetings, it would help,” N. Hurst said. “We’d have an increase of people and donations, and word gets out quickly with a lot of teenagers nowadays being on social media.”
Some CHS students who’ve heard about the group agree that it’s a concept worth supporting.
“I think it would be a great way to give back to the community and really just pay attention to what’s going on around the world,” Ava Skrypec (’28) said.
Others see the benefit of being involved in something that goes beyond academic requirements for college applications.
“You shouldn’t just do charities just for college,” Danny Hephner, president of the class of ’28, said. “It’s important that we’re all involved in helping our community, not just in school, but out of school too.”
The founders believe that if they can hit their target—100 kids contributing monthly—they could raise $1,000 or more per meeting. That kind of funding could make a big difference to local nonprofits, many of which rely on donations to survive.
“It’s hard to do these things without making a profit,” E. Hurst said. “So they really do rely on these donations.”
Beyond the numbers, 100 Kids Who Care is also about giving young people a chance to step into leadership roles and see firsthand how they can influence their world. In a time when many teens feel overwhelmed by global issues or disconnected from local ones, the group offers a chance to take action in a meaningful, manageable way.
“It seems like a great way to experience new things,” Skrypec said. “Don’t be so conservative toward what you like to do, and maybe go outside your comfort zone.”
For all three of these young women, the journey is just beginning. Their dream of creating a movement is alive, fueled by the belief that even the smallest group of kids can make a big difference—one vote, one meeting, one donation at a time.
“We would like to encourage everyone to make an appearance at our next meeting. We want everyone to get the chance to make a change in our community,” Cigan said.
