UPenn Student Recognized For Donating Thousands Of Books To Children
India-West News Desk
PHILADELPHIA, PA– Emily Bhatnagar, a first-year student at the University of Pennsylvania’s College of Liberal and Professional Studies, has been awarded the Margaret L. Hodges Leadership Award for her nonprofit initiative that provides books to children undergoing cancer treatment.
Bhatnagar founded For Love & Buttercup in 2021 while still in high school, aiming to offer comfort and distraction to children facing serious illnesses. Within six months, she had donated 7,000 books. Since then, she has expanded the initiative through an Amazon wishlist, facilitating thousands of donations nationwide. To date, she has distributed over 25,000 books.
“Books allow children to step into new worlds and experience something beyond hospital walls,” Bhatnagar told the Daily Pennsylvanian. “They provide emotional support and a sense of companionship.”
Her nonprofit primarily distributes books for younger children, but donations also include young adult novels. Initially uncertain about older children’s interest in reading, Bhatnagar found that many still enjoy books and appreciate the escape they provide.
Her efforts have earned her multiple accolades, including the President’s Volunteer Service Award gold medal in 2022 and recognition as a CNN Young Wonder in 2023. The Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital presented her with the Margaret L. Hodges Leadership Award on March 15—an honor that holds personal significance, as her father is undergoing treatment at the same facility.
Bhatnagar credits an early supporter for inspiring her to continue her work. “The first person who ever donated money to me—$100—told me, ‘One person can change the world by changing one life at a time.’ That message has stayed with me,” she told the Daily Pennsylvanian.
Now studying leadership and communications, Bhatnagar encourages her peers to pursue causes they care about. She remains committed to For Love & Buttercup, emphasizing that meaningful work should never feel like an obligation.
