Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Yu Hei Ip. Read his story, and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light.
When Yu Hei Ip first joined Voluntas Juvenium, he was just looking for places to volunteer. What he found was a community he wanted to help build. Two years later, he serves on the board of the youth-led nonprofit, which connects young people to service opportunities and civic engagement, and supports them in launching their own projects.
Yu Hei has secured partnerships, run logistics for more than 300 events, and raised roughly $50,000 to support 1,700 volunteers across 17 countries. Together, those volunteers have removed more than 15,000 pounds of waste, distributed over 5,000 meals, and provided thousands of hours of tutoring. He also helped launch the organization’s civics branch. One volunteer’s advocacy idea grew into a partnership with a state assembly member and recognition on the state assembly floor. For Yu Hei, the clearest proof of impact is the volunteers themselves: about 130 have earned mayoral, state, or national awards for their service.
He believes problems don’t get solved when everyone assumes someone else will step in, so young people need to start building the future they want now. His advice to anyone hesitant is to take the first step. The sense of fulfillment that follows, he says, will push you to keep going and help you discover your role in the world.
Do you want to make a difference in your community like Yu Hei? Find local volunteer opportunities.