Sisters with a Mission: How Two Girls Are Spreading Creativity and Kindness

Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Ally & Lizzy Small. Read their story, and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light.

Sisters Ally and Lizzy Small have been turning birthdays into acts of generosity since preschool, asking for charitable donations in lieu of gifts. When the pandemic halted their traditional collection drives, the teens pivoted by founding Sisters² 4 Kids, a 501(c)(3) that channels their love of reading and art into tangible support for children who lack these resources. In just four years, the nonprofit has distributed books and art supplies to more than 14,000 young people across Arizona and around the globe, proving that creativity and compassion can scale far beyond a living-room birthday party.

At the heart of Sisters² 4 Kids is a laser-focused mission: place at least one book and a set of art materials into the hands of every child who needs them. The sisters coordinate community book drives, partner with local businesses, and tap a growing network of volunteers to sort, pack and deliver donations. Their outreach stretches from Phoenix shelters to international schools, and every shipment reinforces the link between early literacy, creative development and long-term success.

The duo’s commitment to service doesn’t stop with their nonprofit. Recognizing the power of peer influence, Ally and Lizzy created an Excellence in Service award at their high school. Now in its second year, the honor spotlights students who devote time and talent to community causes, showing service as a core campus value. Even after they graduate next year, the sisters plan to oversee the nomination and selection process to keep the tradition—and inspiration—alive.

Outside school, the sisters brighten life for residents at their great-grandmother’s retirement community. Every month since early 2020, they gather relatives to craft 125 hand-made gifts—painted rocks, tissue-paper flowers, holiday trinkets—and place them on door ledges. What began as pandemic cheer has evolved into an enduring ritual; the pair, affectionately dubbed the “Village Elves,” still deliver these tokens of joy five years later, proving that small, consistent gestures can forge deep community bonds.

With thriving chapters, sustained local partnerships and an ever-growing volunteer base, Sisters² 4 Kids demonstrates the outsized impact young leaders can make when they blend passion with purpose. From global book shipments to front-porch art surprises, Ally and Lizzy Small continue to turn simple ideas into transformative acts, inviting teens everywhere to do the same… one storybook, paintbrush or handmade gift at a time.

Tell us about your volunteer role and organization.

We founded and currently run the daily operations of Sisters 4 Kids, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Its mission is to inspire imagination and creativity by ensuring that all children have at least one book of their own, and art supplies of their very own. We are twin teenagers, so we get the opportunity to run Sisters 4 Kids while also going to high school! We do pretty much everything together, but Lizzy usually focuses more on the community support, social media and financial donations, and Ally focuses more on material donations and outreach communications to schools, foster care agencies and other organizations that work with kids. We are so lucky to have a wonderful community, family and school community that help us in so many ways with Sisters 4 Kids.

What inspired you to get started with this initiative?

Growing up, our parents always talked about using our passions to find ways to serve, and how that would look different for everyone. They taught us that everyone has a gift to share, you just have to find it and then use it. Don’t overthink it. When we were really young, we painted rocks, because we loved to paint, and then we’d put them in our neighbors yard, at the store and so on. What a small thing that brightened someone’s day!

We then started thinking bigger, and for our 6th birthday party, we asked our friends and family to bring donations for the children’s hospital toy closet, instead of birthday gifts. Delivering those gifts to the hospital, seeing how one small thing we did could make an impact on others, fueled our excitement to continue looking for ways to serve and make impact. We did this in small ways throughout the year, and then every birthday, would collect donations for a specific cause instead of birthday gifts. It was a wonderful way to celebrate turning a year older, and our friends are family were very generous, but we knew we would need to find another way to collect donations that was sustainable long term, as we knew we wouldn’t have birthday parties where we could ask for donations forever!

In 2020, With lots of research and fundraising (we made and sold hot chocolate bombs to raise the money needed to start a nonprofit) Sisters 4 Kids was created. We decided to focus on art supplies and books, after we heard about how many children do not have any art supplies or a book of their own. Almost 25% of children in the United States do not have a book of their very own, and the number is higher in some other countries. Art and reading have been such an important part of our lives that we wanted to make sure every kid had these same resources of their very own. Research shows that kids exposed to books and reading, and having at least one book of their own, do better in school and post-graduation. Art and reading inspire imagination and creativity and we feel everyone should have this opportunity!

What are your long-term plans or goals for the organization?

With the incredible support of so many, we have been able to impact 14,621 children globally so far but have a long way to go to close the gap of 25% of children in the U.S. not having a book of their very own, so we will keep working toward that! Our other goal is to continue to inspire our peers and other kids to get involved in serving others (in any way they are passionate about) in the communities they live in. Kids are incredibly powerful with what they can do for others, and sometimes they just need a little inspiration.

What’s been the most rewarding part of your work?

There are so many different parts of it that have been so fulfilling to us. We of course don’t usually get to meet the kids that are impacted by Sisters 4 Kids, but hearing stories or getting letters about the difference it is making is so awesome. The other part that is really rewarding is seeing our friends, family and community come together to help, in so many ways. We have had people in our community hold donation drives and fundraisers, and reach out about a need they heard about so we can help.

Homemade positive encouraging cards are included in each backpack we give. Very young kids to adults in retirement communities are making these homemade cards to help out. Businesses are not only helping out financially, but also having their employees help make cards and send to us! Last week we got a big envelope full of cards from Delaware. Seeing how everyone, regardless of their age, coming together to serve and help is so rewarding!

What have you learned through your experiences as a volunteer?

We’ve learned that no matter your age, you can always find a way to volunteer and serve. It doesn’t have to be something big, just use what you are passionate about to serve others. It all matters. If you are struggling to figure out how to volunteer and serve, start with purposely smiling and genuinely thanking the cashier in the school cafeteria, or the cashier at the store. Take a piece of paper or card and write a genuine and specific thank you to a teacher, doctor, receptionist or mailman about why you appreciate them. Make someone else feel seen and that they matter. If you start there, you get in the habit of looking for ways to impact others, and then naturally you will be able to use your own gifts and passions to help others.

Why is it important for others to get involved with causes they care about?

It is important because the causes need your help in so many ways. It also goes both ways; the volunteer is internally rewarded knowing they are impacting others with something they believe in. Knowing you are making a difference to someone else, in any capacity, is truly the best feeling in the world!

What do you want people to learn from your story?

We hope to inspire others, no matter their age, to get involved in something that serves others. Start small and then see where it leads you, because you just never know.

Do you want to make a difference in your community like Ally and Lizzy? Find local volunteer opportunities.