Written by Tom and published in The Martinsburg Journal on April 6, 2025. The article can be accessed HERE.
Karissa and Kareena Sood had the desire to help those less fortunate in their community, and rather than simply thinking about how to do that, the sisters stepped up, formed a nonprofit, and set to work to help bring food and other necessities to those in the area.
On Sunday morning, the two, along with many members of clubs they belong to at Spring Mills High School, gathered just off Raleigh Street at the pavilion owned by Destiny Baptist to hand out everything from personal hygiene products to vegan food promoting healthier eating to Narcan to aid in drug overdoses.
The girls have grown up in the Martinsburg area and attend St. Joseph School in the downtown area, where they both developed a heart for the homeless and underserved population in the community.
“I just felt a connection to the downtown area,” Kareena shared.
In developing their nonprofit, the two spent a significant amount of time reaching out to potential partners, including city and county officials, students within their schools, Mayor Kevin Knowles, and more to learn all the steps necessary to achieve their vision. The girls also took on the challenge of funding their organization, seeking donations and grants.
Karissa successfully wrote a grant proposal and received funding through the Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation—funds that have helped with the costs of materials to hand out as well as other expenses that arise when forming an organization such as theirs.
School’s Health Professionals Club advisors Hannah Horner and Brandon Dolly were with the students Sunday.
“This is part of a community service initiative,” Horner said, explaining that clubs at Spring Mills are required to provide some type of community service outreach. Kareena serves as the school’s club president and took the lead on preparing for the event Sunday. In preparation, students have received Narcan training and will, on May 1, complete CPR and First Aid training through the club.
Horner explained that the clubs meet during what is dubbed Cardinal Connection at the school, during the lunch hour. Providing the daytime hours for club membership and activity, she said, has allowed many students to participate who would not normally be able to do so if all club activities were during afterschool hours.
Horner commended the Sood sisters for their leadership in the Cardinals for Community initiative as she said expressed how community-minded they, along with their peers, have become.
“The kids led this,” Horner said. “This is them.”
Getting to the point of providing this public gathering was a lengthy journey for the Sood sisters who shared that they spent time visiting homeless encampments to meet those underserved and find out what their needs truly are.
“We want to try and connect students and build a bridge to the underserved,” Kareena said. “We also want to keep the legacy going and have the efforts continue and still be a thing,” she added, saying that she is a sophomore and Karissa a senior.
The two don’t want their efforts to be a one-time thing, so hopefully, the development of the nonprofit and the joining of student efforts will continue even after they leave the halls of Spring Mills High behind them.