Agoura High students are known as ‘Kids Helping Kids’

Acorn Staff Writer


FUNDRAISER WILL HELP CHILDREN--Sophie Ghiam, front center, co-founder and president of Agoura High School's

FUNDRAISER WILL HELP CHILDREN–Sophie Ghiam, front center, co-founder and president of Agoura High School’s “Kids Helping Kids,” a program associated with United Nations’ Childrens Funds (UNCF), poses with classmates who operated a recent “Trick or Treat for UNCF” fundraiser. The group includes Brittany Kahan, Lauren Lohnberg, Rachel Senko, Sarah Moses, Becky Francoeur, Cami Howard, Kimia Ghiam, Adam Biederman, Jordan Grossbart, Jaynee Levit, Marissa Matthew, Angela Piearce, Mackenzie Wilson, Kimberly Matthew and Erin Broner. It’s a good time to help others.

Vita Ghiam is a very proud mother.


Her 17-year-old daughter, Sophie, is a senior at Agoura High School with a busy schedule. Sophie isn’t just attending her senior year of high school; she also takes additional courses at Pierce College.


If that’s not enough, she volunteers once a week at the local congressman’s office, as well as offering her services to Chabad of Conejo.


She’ co-founder and president of a Kids Helping Kids program associated with United Nations Childrens Funds (UNCF).


Since Nov. 1, Sophie and friends have been running a fundraising program in which proceeds will go to kids all over the world; to hungry children and to kids without families.


"Trick or Treat for UNCF" read the signs on more than 80 "piggy bank" boxes placed around Agoura.


Sophie managed to get a piggy bank in every homeroom class at Agoura High School, with an incentive that the class raising the most money will receive a pizza party.


Businesses like the Agoura Car Wash, (owned by Sophie’s uncle) and a 76 gas station in Camarillo, (owned by her father) and Tarzana Hospital, (where Sophie’s mother is a nurse) also displayed the piggy banks. This is the second year for the fundraiser, according to Vita Ghiam, and it’s definitely bigger than last year when Sophie first learned about UNCF from an article in Time Magazine.


She introduced herself to a supervisor of the organization based in Los Angeles, and along with a tight knit team created Kids Helping Kids.


"I love to help," said Sophie Ghiam. ‘‘It lets the lucky bunch of us realize how lucky we really are and hopefully allows us to understand the awful conditions in which some people live.’’


Sophie and her friends organized a candy sale at Agoura High and earned nearly $500.


This year, contributions have been even better


So what’s up next for Ghiam? She plans to go to college, possibly UCLA. While helping her mother at the hospital, she gained a desire to help others. And she may pursue career in medicine.


Sophie was born in Tarzana, and has been a resident of Agoura since she was 7.


When asked if she would return here after college, she replied, "I would like to raise a family here." Sophie’s mother is very proud and supportive of her daughter


"I think we should appreciate good kids," said Vita Ghiam.


"It’s a good thing to appreciate good kids."




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