Founder Feature: Ruchita Verma and The Community of Peace & Love
A beacon of hope for combatting mental health among adolescence
Ruchita Verma (age 16) is a 2021 Fulphil alumna from the East Bay Area who had the opportunity to learn through Fulphil’s curriculum at Mount Eden High School in her 10th-grade entrepreneurship class under the instruction of Vanita Lee-Tatum.
On May 4th, Ruchita won the Que Phillips Social Impact Award at our 2021 FulPitch Challenge for her nonprofit, The Community of Peace & Love, The Community of Peace and Love is a platform made to combat stigma around mental health for adolescent. Learn more about Ruchita, her organization, and her experience and wisdom in her spotlight feature.
What does your organization do?
The Community of Peace & Love provides a safe shame-free space for adolescents to be honored, seen, and heard. We offer a variety of creative sessions ranging from just talking to art, crafts, dance, yoga, journaling, meditation, and to our fan-favorite manicure therapy! These sessions allow adolescents to know that their feelings are there to guide them, that they are worthy, are enough, and that they deserve to take up space!
What was your inspiration for your organization?
I was inspired to create The Community of Peace and Love after seeing how mental health shapes every aspect of our life since our thoughts are so powerful. After seeing mental illnesses such as schizophrenia and depression affect my loved ones, I found it essential to create a platform where teens can come to take some weight off their shoulders by meeting a new friend who will listen with an open heart and are able to leave with resources to utilize during challenging times! Teens are allowed to feel good in their own skin and are able to realize their worth through our fun activities such as building gratitude chests, five-finger breathing, EFT tapping, and etc!
What keeps you motivated?
My love for the world and people keeps me motivated because we are in this together! Seeing change and working towards making the world a better place motivates me as well because change is beautiful and it’s the moments that make us uncomfortable, that allow us to grow the most. It’s so inspiring to see people authentically be and share themselves with the world!
What does the Que Phillips Social Impact Award mean to you?
The Que Phillips Social Impact Award means the world to me since it’s about making a difference in people’s lives. It’s a huge honor to receive an award after Que who is very inspiring himself. I plan on using the award by funding The Community of Peace and Love for our future endeavors and donating a portion to organizations that are also helping to save lives.
Fun fact(s) about yourself?
Some fun facts about me are that I love to travel and I dance for about 20 hours each week!
What’s your advice to other students like yourself out there who are just starting their businesses or thinking about starting their own businesses?
My advice to other students like myself who are starting their businesses or are thinking about starting their own businesses is that you can do it because you are so capable!! Commit fully to your vision and do not give up no matter how hard it gets because you are so worthy of making your dreams into a reality. There will be bumps on the road, but trust yourself, let your intuition guide you, and commit to your passion because the world needs you and your light!
From all of us at Fulphil, thank you, Ruchita for being the inspiration you are for your community. Thank you for all the good work you do!
Learn more about The Community of Peace & Love at their website and follow them on Instagram and Facebook!
About Fulphil
Fulphil is a 501(c)3 that empowers high school students to make an impact on their communities by teaching social entrepreneurship. Learn more at fulphil.org
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