The phrase “do small things with great love,” attributed to Mother Teresa, emphasizes the importance of performing everyday actions with love and compassion no matter how insignificant they may seem. The 250 Project is a youth-led nonprofit founded in early 2024 by Kirantej Kunapareddy, Akshay Salver, and Saagar Perungulam, with a simple mission to do just that: to collect and donate 250 essential items per drive, per month to support local nonprofits and those in need. The trio attends Tompkins High School in Katy. Since its launch, the Houston chapter of The 250 Project has completed several successful drives supporting organizations such as The Ballard House, Clothed by Faith, and Emergency Aid Coalition—providing essential items like kitchen towels, Clorox wipes, toiletries, caps, blankets, socks, water bottles and more. Earlier this year, the group worked with The Ballard House, a nonprofit located at 21421 Cinco Park Rd. in Katy which provides free housing to patients traveling to the Houston area for medical treatment, in collecting and donating kitchen paper towels, water bottles, and dental kits.

“We love and appreciate Project 250,” said Ballard House Outreach Coordinator Naomi Williams in an email to the Katy Times.

The inspiration for The 250 Project traces back to Hurricane Harvey, when friends who had lost everything stayed at Kunapareddy’s home. Seeing how much comfort small acts of kindness could bring left a lasting impression on him.

Years later, through his podcast on emergency management, Kunapareddy began to understand how crucial organized donations are in helping communities recover. That realization sparked the idea for The 250 Project — a way for students to make a focused, measurable difference.

He shared the idea with his friends Salvar and Perungulam, and together they founded The 250 Project. Each drive collects 250 essential items — a number that represents teamwork, purpose, and the belief that even small efforts can create meaningful change.

The nonprofit now has several chapters, including the home chapter called "the Houston chapter” and one in North Carolina. The new chapters began when students in those states saw what the Houston chapter was doing and wanted to be part of it, Kunapareddy said. “We also reached out to friends and relatives living there, and through social media, got connected to

students who were interested in starting their own drives. We shared our model with them, helped them plan their first collections, and that’s how The 250 Project began expanding beyond Texas.”

“Right now, most of our[local] members are students from Tompkins High School, but we’re working to expand to other schools in the area,” said Kunapareddy. “We call it the ‘Houston Chapter’ not because of where our members go to school, but because of the broader community we aim to serve. Our drives and donations impact organizations and families across the Greater Houston area, and we hope to keep growing that reach with new student volunteers from neighboring schools.”

The local program has grown organically, Kunapareddy said. “Most of our members joined through word of mouth — friends inviting friends. We also spread the word through school clubs, social media, and community connections. Once people saw how simple and impactful each drive was, more students wanted to get involved and be part of something meaningful.”

With volunteers in place, the next task was to choose the nonprofits the group could work with. “We usually asked around or researched local nonprofits online to see who might need support,” Kunapareddy said. “Then we’d reach out directly — calling or emailing to ask if they needed anything specific. Most organizations were really happy to hear from us and appreciated that students were taking the initiative to help in a focused way.”

Every organization had different priorities — for example, one drive focused on collecting socks for The Ballard House, while another gathered water bottles for a local shelter. By tailoring each drive to specific needs, The 250 Project made sure every item collected had a real impact.

Next, the donations must be gathered. “We spread the word in every way we can — through social media, school announcements, and flyers,” Kunapareddy said. “We also share updates in community and WhatsApp groups, post on Facebook, and even walk around our neighborhoods handing out flyers. It’s very grassroots, but that personal approach helps us connect directly with people and get more students involved.”

To date, The 250 Project collected socks, blankets, and caps for EAC Houston; bottles, kitchen towels, and dental supplies for The Ballard House; and toiletries and T-shirts for Clothed by Faith. Every drive focused on providing practical essentials that could directly support families and individuals in need.

But The 250 Project has been even more successful than its modest name and goals would indicate. “Every time we’ve not only met but gone well above our 250-item goal — most of the time collecting almost double or more,” Kunapareddy said. “It’s been amazing to see how quickly people come together once they understand how specific and impactful each drive is.”

“We want the community to know that anyone can be part of The 250 Project — by donating items, spreading the word, or even starting a chapter of their own,” Kunapareddy said. “Our goal is to show that small, consistent efforts can add up to a big impact. Every item, every volunteer, and every act of kindness helps build a stronger, more connected community.” To learn more, visit www.the250project.org.