When Empathy Becomes Action

Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Christina He. Read her story, and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light.

Often, people choose to volunteer their time with an initiative because it is personally relevant to them. Occasionally, you see volunteers like 18-year-old Christina He. While her family has not directly dealt with autism, she is the chair of Hope for Three’s Teen Huddle where she leads a team of 10 to 15 teen volunteers in organizing events and activities for children with autism and their families.

As an aspiring biomedical engineer, Christina recognizes also the importance of education in reaching future career goals. The education inequities visible in her high school, again, moved her to action. She co-founded Giveducation, a nonprofit that partners with more than 20 learning centers to connect underserved students to tuition-free classes.

She’s provided in-person and online opportunities across subjects for 2,500 students so far. But that’s not all. During summers, the organization puts on a summer STEM camp funded by the $18,000 in grants secured through Christina’s outreach and her co-founder’s grant writing efforts. Together with her team of volunteers, Christina is ensuring everyone gets a chance to pursue their scholastic goals.

What inspired you to get started with these initiatives?

A few years ago, I moved from the school system in a privileged area where I was surrounded by people who shared a similar family income and ethnicity, to a high school where that wasn’t the case. I saw firsthand how ingrained some educational issues can be. Families may not have the time or resources to provide their students with educational support. It inspired me to create Giveducation to be a safe space where students can nurture their passions.

Hope for Three was advertised on my school’s website, and I thought it was interesting. A lot of the activities are near where I live, so it’s also very convenient. I’ve been with this community since ninth grade. I often see the same families at events and have gotten to know them. It’s nice to see the activities make such a difference.

Tell us about your volunteer role with Giveducation and Hope for Three.

For Giveducation, we partner with learning centers so that when classes that aren’t completely filled, we can offer spots to students who don’t have access to those kinds of resources. Learning centers organize semester- and year-long classes, and we give out scholarships that allow students to attend for free. Throughout the year, we’ll send reminders to parents to sign up.

We also do an annual free STEM camp in partnership with Title I schools. We design the class, and they give us the space to host. Class subjects vary each year, but most of the time, we have robotics, math and biology or physics. It gives kids an opportunity to learn, have fun and cultivate their interest in STEM subjects. They may even gain the confidence to pursue these subjects as a career.

As president, I typically organize the camp, but I don’t usually teach. I make sure the volunteers understand their roles and try to match people to classes they want to teach. During the camp itself, I make sure everything’s running smoothly and address any issues.

At Hope for Three, I’ve led and participated in 20+ Caregivers’ Timeouts and Sibling Sessions. The former involves spending time with autistic children so that their parents or caregivers can take a break without worrying about their children. One dad said he hadn’t had a date with his wife in years, and this gave him an opportunity to spend some quality time with her.

During Sibling Sessions, we spend time with siblings who may not get as much attention at home due to their autistic sibling’s needs. We hang out and have fun. We also do socials for recruiting and for volunteers from different schools to get to know each other.

A couple of our fundraisers include an annual car wash and a puzzle competition. One of our bigger social events is Trunk or Treat for Halloween. Families with autistic children or even just their siblings come and enjoy different activities.

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

My long-term goal for Giveducation is just to continue expanding the number of organizations we work with and the geographic region. I’d also like for other areas to host summer camps.

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

At Hope for Three, it’s having those kids and their parents come up to me to say how much they enjoy the time we spend with them. Knowing how a couple of hours out of my day can impact someone makes me want to keep volunteering.

We have Giveducation pre- and post-camp surveys, and many students will write about their favorite classes or part of camp. It makes me feel good about what we do. We get emails from parents about how their kid had a lot of fun, or the school will tell us good job. Being acknowledged is rewarding.

Tell us about future partnerships, programs or events that you are excited about.

Hope for Three has a Christmas event coming up. We’ll be serving food and having fun with the kids and their families. And we’ll have pictures with Santa. The puzzling competition will be in January.

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

When you see something you care about and want to change, don’t just sit back and think someone else will do it. Because what if they don’t? Jane Goodall and Malala are individuals, but they’ve created major change around the world. It starts with one person. Besides, it’s not about the size of your impact but rather knowing that you did something right.

Any advice for people who want to start volunteering?

Volunteering with friends or family is a good way to start. You never know the impact you might have on someone or where the journey will take you. Volunteering might become a big part of your life.

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