Rochester Sixth Grader's Care Packages Earn Honor
Local nonprofits and civic award programs can use clear nomination rules to recognize youth-led giving in Rochester.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Philanthropy
Live Poll
Do you think people in your community should do more to help those facing homelessness?
A sixth grader at Allendale Columbia School, Anaya Sanasie, is being honored for assembling care packages for people facing homelessness. Her Rochester-area community recognition arrives as the Rochester Police Department's Do the Right Thing awards, which have run since 1995, recognize local good deeds.
Why it matters
The story shows how small, self-funded acts can draw formal recognition in a community program with a clear nomination process open to the public. For Rochester-area operators, it is a reminder that local philanthropy often runs through neighborhood initiatives and school networks rather than large corporate giving programs.
The Rochester Police Department has run its Do the Right Thing awards since 1995, and any K-12 student in a Monroe County school is eligible for a nomination. Nominations must cover a good deed completed within the prior year and may be submitted by anyone over 18.
The players
Anaya Sanasie
A sixth grader at Allendale Columbia School in Rochester, N.Y., being honored for assembling care packages for people facing homelessness.
Allendale Columbia School
A Rochester-area private school that Anaya Sanasie attends.
Rochester Police Department
The municipal law enforcement agency that has held the Do the Right Thing awards since 1995 and accepts nominations for local good deeds.
The details
Anaya used her own money to assemble care packages containing snacks, water, socks, and other essentials for people facing homelessness. She kept the packages in her parents' car so she could hand them out directly, and she shared packages with family and friends so they could help. Asking to hand out packages for her birthday instead of receiving gifts shows how she directed her personal occasions toward the effort.
Timeline
Anaya carried bags on neighborhood walks to pick up litter in early childhood.
Anaya asked to hand out care packages on her birthday instead of receiving gifts.
The Rochester Police Department began holding Do the Right Thing awards in 1995.
Market Landscape
The Do the Right Thing awards, run by the Rochester Police Department since 1995, form part of Rochester's long-running local recognition tradition for individual good deeds. Anaya's care-package effort fits the pattern of youth-led giving that such civic programs are set up to surface.
Local organizations running charitable or civic recognition programs may see increased nominations when they publicize youth-led efforts and clear eligibility rules. Businesses that support neighborhood initiatives can use program criteria, such as the one-year window for qualifying deeds, to structure their own community giving.
The takeaway
Operators sponsoring local recognition programs should document eligibility windows and nominator requirements clearly so community members can participate. Consider tracking nomination volume each year as an indicator of community engagement with local giving.
Further reading
For related local giving stories, see Philanthropy coverage of Rochester.
Source note: This article includes information reported by WHEC.
Live Poll
Do you think people in your community should do more to help those facing homelessness?
