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Siblings, sophomore Oviya and junior Aadhavan Sivakumar, have been honored with the prestigious President’s Volunteer Service Award by the Medway Village Food Pantry. (Photo courtesy Medway Public Schools)
Principal John Murray is pleased to announce that the Medway Village Food Pantry recently recognized two Medway High School students.
Siblings, sophomore Oviya and junior Aadhavan Sivakumar, have been honored with the prestigious President’s Volunteer Service Award.
The Medway Village Food Pantry is 100% volunteer-led and relies on volunteer contributions to serve its patrons. The award recognizes volunteers who dedicate a significant number of hours to the food pantry performing a variety of different tasks.
The two MHS honorees were among 19 total volunteers recognized with the President’s Volunteer Service Award for their outstanding service this year.
“We are very proud of this pair of students earning this award,” Principal Murray said. “Oviya and Aadhaven have shown dedication and selflessness by spending many of their Saturday mornings volunteering at the Medway Village Food Pantry, and I’m glad to see them getting the recognition they deserve for all they have done for the Medway community.”
Oviya Sivakumar was recognized with a Teen Award (ages 11-15), which honors teen volunteers who complete a minimum of 50 hours of service in a 12-month period.
She received a Gold Level President’s Volunteer Service Award for dedicating 107 hours to the Medway Village Food Pantry from September 2023 through August 2024. Oviya took over the primary responsibility of managing the pantry’s clients’ orders, which previously was a two-person job, but is now a task she mostly manages by herself.
She was recognized for her level headedness and helpfulness, as she often manages multiple competing demands during her volunteer hours and is always willing to step in to help when needed.
Aadhaven was recognized with a Young Adult Award (ages 16-25), which honors young adult volunteers who complete a minimum of 100 hours of service in a 12-month period.
He earned a Bronze Level President’s Volunteer Service Award for dedicating 103.5 hours to the Medway Village Food Pantry from September 2023 through August 2024. Aadhaven has been a steady and capable presence at the pantry, often helping clients bring bags to their cars and paying careful attention to those shopping in the gluten-free section, providing help when needed. He is willing to help and shift his attention to new tasks without question.
Both Oviya and Aadhaven consistently arrive before 8 a.m. to open the pantry and regularly stay after their morning shift has ended to help restock the shelves.
