By Charles W. Kim, Managing Editor
While many teenage girls spend hours shopping for jewelry, Tina Agarwal, 15, is making her own and using the profits to help those less fortunate.
"I wanted something to belong to and a way to give back," the South Brunswick High School sophomore said. "Tina’s Magic helped that."
Tina said that she initially wanted to join two organizations that her older sister belonged to in school, but district budget cuts had to do away with those club chapters.
Not to be disappointed, Tina started her own charitable foundation that creates pieces of jewelry and then sells them through friends and online, donating the proceeds to a variety of charities and causes such as St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.
Tina said that she learned the tradition of helping others through her family and older sister, and that giving back is part of how she has lived her life.
"Every year we go to India and bring two suitcases of old clothes," Tina’s mother Surabhi Agarwal said. "We go to my hometown."
Through the years, Ms. Agarwal said that the population has gotten out of control causing economic distress for many of the residents.
"You can see the poverty there," Tina said. "The parents of the kids don’t have many clothes, their houses are made out of cardboard."
Tina said that she realizes that residents of this country are very fortunate.
"I feel very fortunate to be living in South Brunswick," Tina said
Tina said that she would tell the people that live here and may take things for granted to join an organization like hers to try and make a difference.
Volunteers that help design and make the jewelry as well as work with other organizations for charitable causes staff her organization, which is in its second year.
In November, the organization partnered with the Indo-American Cultural Foundation of Central New Jersey to help raise $10,001 for the Education Foundation of South Brunswick Township through an event called A Touch of Bollywood.
The event featured traditional and contemporary Indian food, music and dancing and was attended by about 1,000 people.
Ms. Agarwal said Tina and the volunteers from her foundation sold many of the tickets for the event, making it the largest fundraiser the organization has been a part of so far.
Despite the responsibility of her position as the founder of the organization, Tina said working with the volunteers made up of her peers is fun.
"I have about 10 or so (main volunteers)," Tina said.
In addition to St. Jude’s, the organization has also made donations to several local charities like Women Aware, and a local Grange in Dayton.
Anyone who would like more information on the organization can visit its website at www.tinasmagic.org.
