Student-Led Nonprofit Raises $30,000 for Low-Income Students in Middlesex County

Student members of the Lift Up board pictured outside Chelmsford Town Hall: Subha Kapoor, Joseph Lee, Lillian (Lily) Rogers, Vinay Murugan, Tiffany Sun, and Matthew Mei.

by Jen Oemig

November 28, 2025

Chelmsford -- Lift Up, a student-led nonprofit organization, has raised more than $30,000 to provide 40,000 school resources for low-income students across Middlesex County, Massachusetts, through a series of community-based fundraising initiatives.

Funds raised by Lift Up directly support low-income and first-generation students by providing essential academic supplies, including backpacks, notebooks, pencils, and other classroom necessities. For many students, access to these materials can make the difference between feeling prepared and feeling left behind.

Lift Up was co-founded by Vinay Murugan, a senior at Chelmsford High School, who currently serves as the organization’s president. He explained that education played a central role in shaping opportunity in his life, but that he also saw how uneven access to education could be.

“Education is one of the few things that can actually change the direction of someone’s life,” Vinay said. “But that only works if people are given a fair chance. A lot of students aren’t.”

He said he became increasingly aware of how small gaps—missing supplies, financial stress at home, or lack of support—could affect how students showed up to school each day.

“People think it’s about motivation,” he said. “But it’s hard to focus on learning when you’re worried about things other students don’t even have to think about.”

Vice President Mathew Mei said the organization’s leadership reflects the communities it serves. Many members are first-generation students, come from low-income households, or have close family members who faced similar challenges.

“This isn’t something we’re studying from the outside,” Mei said. “A lot of us have lived it, or watched people close to us live it.”

The organization is run entirely by students and includes youth members from Chelmsford, Lowell, and Westford, reflecting a collaborative, cross-community effort. Lift Up works directly with schools, guidance counselors, and administrators to identify gaps that affect students’ ability to succeed in class. The organization also partners with Strategies for Children, a nonprofit that focuses on equitable access to early education and family support services, to purchase specific items needed.

Looking ahead, Murugan and the Lift Up team hope to expand their reach, strengthen partnerships with local businesses and schools, and continue mobilizing young people to take an active role in supporting educational equity across Middlesex County.