Mehta Madison Family
Cooper (age 12) and Lucy (age 9) Madison received their 40th and 35th project pins this past Fall and their parents, Kiran Mehta and Rich Madison could not be prouder. Kiran and her kids were at Nourish Your Neighbors, a Nourishing Hope warehouse in Ravenswood, where families’ pick-up groceries and deliver two-weeks of food to individuals on the Northside of Chicago.
“My kids love the food pantry,” says Kiran. “It’s one of their favorite Honeycomb projects. We pick-up boxes of groceries, go through the drop off list and then deliver the food. It’s that personal touch…Cooper and Lucy like going into the homes, carrying boxes and setting it on kitchen tables – they see that impact.”
“My children love helping,” says Kiran. “We talk about how others are in different places in their lives and sometimes we all need a little help no matter where you are in life.”
Kiran and Cooper and Lucy’s dad, Rich, found out about Honeycomb in 2016 and remember their first project repurposing plastic bags to make sleeping mats for the homeless. The kids have participated almost once per month since and been involved in various projects over the past years, including cleaning up neighborhood trash during the Pandemic and playing games with patients at the newest Brunch & Board Games event with their dad at the Illinois Medical District Guest House.
After Lucy received her 35th project pin, she felt very proud of herself. Lucy said “my favorite part of volunteering is having fun and being part of a community that helps each other."
Cooper felt “very accomplished when I got my 40th pin.” “My favorite parts about volunteering is getting to see everyone that we volunteer for be happy and knowing that I am helping the world."
“They recognize this is a very human experience,” Kiran continues. “We are all connected to each other. Helping others has a ripple effect because we are also helping ourselves, others and our city…
For Cooper and Lucy, Honeycomb is a staple in their lives. “Volunteering is second nature to them,” says mom. “We plan to do this as long as we can…hopefully for the rest of our lives.”
The Mehta Madison Family lives in North Center. Kiran is an attorney for the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services and Rich is an attorney for the Illinois Department of Human Services. Cooper enjoys playing the piano, science and dabbling with experiments. Lucy ice skates, take voice lessons and enjoys arts and crafts. In addition to being a family of readers, they love being outdoors.