An 11-year-old San Jose girl has turned her passion for volunteering into $10,000 worth of scholarships.
The Kohl’s Cares Scholarship Program announced Wednesday that Sonali Ranaweera has been selected from more than 35,000 nominees to be one of ten national winners in their program that rewards children for volunteer efforts and community involvement.
Last year, Ranaweera created a charity called “Recycling4Smiles” to help raise money for children who need cleft lip surgeries. By collecting recyclables from friends and family members, she was able to turn unwanted items into money that could be sent to Smile Train, a charity that provides cleft palate surgeries to those who need it.
Ranaweera has recycled 7,200 pounds of glass, plastic and aluminum through her charity and raised more than $3,000 to help fund 13 surgeries through Smile Train.
The Kohl’s Cares Scholarship Program has awarded Ranaweera with $10,000 in scholarships for higher education as well as a donation of $1,000 to a nonprofit organization of her choice – PTA California Congress of Parents Teacher & Students, Inc.
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Since its start in 2001, Kohl’s has recognized the efforts of more than 19,000 children and awarded more than $3.9 million in scholarships and prizes for community service.
