HELPING OTHERS IS A WAY OF LIFE FOR THIS CHICAGO FAMILY

Meet Daily Point of Light Award honorees, the Choi family. Read their story, and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light.

Soo Choi always wanted her twins to know just how lucky they are. She knew volunteerism was the answer.

In 2016, Soo was looking for a volunteer project that she could participate in alongside her 5-year-old twins. Traditionally, it’s rather hard to find volunteer opportunities for children, and Soo was doing some searching on the Internet to see how the family could volunteer despite the twins’ young age. She struck a goldmine when she came across The Honeycomb Project, a Chicago-based organization for family volunteering. In the early days of their volunteer work, Soo, Andrew and Sophia made cozy blankets for children at a shelter and wrapped holiday toys at a local community center. Though they were just five years old, the twins learned the meaning of taking the time to help others. Now 14 and on the cusp of young adulthood, the family’s involvement with Honeycomb has only grown.

In the last nine years, the family’s volunteer projects with Honeycomb have truly run the gamut. From serving meals at temporary housing for families affected by domestic violence to having dinner at a firehouse and assembling cookie packages with thank-you notes for the firefighters, each project has allowed the twins to interact with different people and learn about a world outside their own.

Soo aims to participate in at least one Honeycomb Project event a month, but often gets involved with two to three. She’s also hopeful for both herself and the twins’ progress in the future. She’s hoping Andrew and Sophia will participate in the Honeycomb Project’s program for high school students, which will allow them to take on more of a leadership role in volunteer projects. But no matter what direction they go in, Soo,

Andrew and Sophia’s story is a testament to the concept that volunteering can be a family affair. No matter the age of everyone involved, a family that’s dedicated to the mission of helping others can create great change within their community.

What inspired you to get started with this initiative?

A lot of my passions in terms of volunteer work have been things that I’ve cared about for as long as I can remember. A lot of things relate to those that are caused by socioeconomic inequality. I consider myself extremely lucky. I have a wonderful family and two really wonderful parents. We live a comfortable life. The kinds of things that I know so many people have to worry about, my kids have never had to worry about. It’s always been important to me that, as soon as I thought they were old enough, they start to comprehend that not everybody lives the same life. It’s been important for me, raising them as a parent, for them to appreciate what they have. I found out about Honeycomb through basic research, because I was online looking for volunteer opportunities and they had projects that spanned so many different age ranges.

Tell us about your volunteer role with the Honeycomb Project.

We have done so many different things. When they were younger, it was a lot more engaging with families. For example, several places in Chicago provide temporary housing to families in transition because of domestic violence. There would be a group of our families from Honeycomb who would bring in breakfast or lunch and serve that, and then do some kind of project together. We’ve done other things like sorting clothing or toy donations. I like to try and diversify it, and I feel like we always meet some really great people. They always seem very happy after we finish up.

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

Get more involved in the organization itself. The kids are 14, and the Honeycomb Project has a program for high school kids, where they’re essentially acting as ambassadors. They take a team leader role in a lot of the projects that are done. It’s really trying to continue to cultivate a commitment to public service. I’m really hoping that next year they’ll start doing that great.

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

It’s the little moments that stick out in my memory. It can be a really daunting experience, especially if it’s new to you, to engage with somebody so different from you that it feels like they’re from a different world. We did a project a few months ago where it’s a temporary housing for women who are in transition, either because of domestic violence or loss of a job. The first part of the project was to cook a full dinner and serve it, but at some point, when people are eating, you’re encouraged to come out and talk to the women. I wasn’t sure how my kids would react to that, because it’s not something they’ve really been exposed to before. And I was really surprised because they came out there and they were in deep conversations, getting to know these women who were really surprised that someone that young was interested in hearing about their lives and asking questions. For me, it’s just those moments that I hope are indicative of what I know my kids to be, which is extremely kind and compassionate at their core.

What have you and your children learned through your experiences as a volunteer?

I think that as they’ve gotten older, they recognize that it’s so easy to take for granted what you don’t have to think about. They have pretty much whatever they need. They’re lucky. They’ve recognized how lucky they are, and I think they appreciate that not everyone lives the same life. I think it’s so much more meaningful to give time and effort versus just donating money, and I think that they consider that to be a more fulfilling experience as well, because it’s something that they’re doing that they can talk to their friends about, and it’s memories we build together as a family.

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

I think causes flourish when you have human involvement. We live in a really, really tough time. But even before, it’s the awareness. It’s that infectious feeling of gratitude and joy that comes from doing this and being able to share stories and talk about organizations and cultivate more supporters, whether it’s in the form of time or donations. You have corporations that have money to give, and you have people who want to donate time. Organizations want to host events to help. There are so many different ways people can help.

Any advice for people who want to start volunteering?

Sometimes it’s as simple as just Google searching. That’s really how I find out. If you know there’s something you’re passionate about, then you can focus a search on that. I think talking to other parents at school, I was able to get a few families involved with Honeycomb because they saw it on social media. Sometimes schools are a great way because they often have a lot of information. Sometimes they host organizations, but they are also in contact with a lot of organizations. There are a lot of different ways. I think it’d be nice if it didn’t require so much proactive work, but it does require a little bit.

What do you want people to learn from your story?

When I think about what matters the most, and I think about my children and what I want most for them, what’s most important for me is who they become as people as they grow up, and what is the core of their being and their character. Yes, things like education are important, but at the end of the day, I think what matters more to me is how they go about life. How do they handle difficult situations? How do they view the world? For me, volunteer work is one way that helps tether them to those values. It’s not competitive; it isn’t about school. It’s not about achieving anything. This is something that you’re doing because you genuinely want to do it.

Do you want to make a difference in your community like the Choi family? Find local volunteer opportunities.