As the chatter echoed throughout the cafeteria and sandwiches were being served, there was only one thing I could focus on: the little boy in front of me, smiling at the paper crane placed amongst his hands by my older brother Jackson. He stared quietly before beginning to show it off to anyone who passed before dragging his mother over to my family, gleefully. And it was at this moment that I realized there was a difference between people. He was no more than 5 years old, just my height, just my age; the only thing that differed between us was opportunity.
Little Helpers was started on my third birthday in 2010 by my mother in Memphis. Being a Vietnamese refugee, she knew of the power of volunteer work, so she set out on a mission when my brother and I were born to ensure we were exposed. Little did she know that there were very few of such opportunities. Most volunteer sites did not allow children in for liability reasons. However, instead of turning back and deciding to wait until we were of age, my mother set to work and created Little Helpers. No matter where we moved, Little Helpers started chapters across the country including Atlanta in 2015 and soon friends and strangers were reaching out to begin their own. This grew to 20 U.S. chapters and even one in Dublin, Ireland. During a family trip to Vietnam, we handed out treat bags and my brother’s origami to children from the bustling streets of Ho Chi Minh City to the quiet villages of the Mekong Delta.
This is not a nonprofit, but a volunteer group. Thus, no financial obligation is attached to volunteering, creating an approachable environment for families.
Little Helpers strives to create opportunities for children to become exposed to volunteer work, partnering with various organizations to do such feats. Simple Needs GA became a frequented destination where we aided in organizing the donation center, crafted birthday blankets, and set up necessity kits for families. Multiple homeless shelters were visited to serve lunch and make sandwiches for those in need. Nursing homes like Oak Leaf Manor in Roswell were visited to play Bingo and bring cards to residents. We also delivered treats to first responders on 9/11, sent care packages to the military, hosted gift giving holiday parties for refugees with an organization called Inspiritus, read to shelter dogs at Mostly Mutts Animal Rescue, made utensil rolls for the soup kitchen at Must Ministries, harvested crops from community gardens with the Alpharetta Community Agriculture Program, and so much more.
You don’t serve only when there’s a crowd, you show up even if it’s just you.
However, Little Helpers is not only about scheduled events, but about creating habits. Volunteering isn’t something that only exists within organizations or planned activities, it can be part of our free time and everyday life. We encourage people to act on the small deeds. Because, like the paper cranes, small acts can create big impacts. It is all about perspective. Some such deeds can be writing a thank you note, making a cake for someone who's sick, checking on a friend, speaking nicely of others even when they're not around, standing up for people being mistreated, opening a door for someone, and even making room for someone at a table. Being kind is not only about the grand gestures, but the quiet acts of kindness that receive no recognition.
So I encourage you to go out and be kind. To be inspired by the people who have resonated and stuck with you.
Find Little Helpers and Little Helpers of Atlanta on Facebook.
"Volunteering isn’t limited to events. It’s a habit that fits into everyday life and free time.”
-Ava Huyen Bui Smith