On April 26, 2015, I ditched my senior prom to make 20 boxes of clothes, food and supplies for homeless people in Chicago. I made a video documenting my experience which now has over 200,000 views. It prompted a $6,000 donation drive on GoFundMe. The experience has inspired and given me the confidence to make an even larger impact, one that can extend beyond my community. Thus, I have begun the process of creating and registering my own nonprofit organization: Give A Box. My first distribution in April has made me appreciate each blessing, big or small, in my life and has changed my perspective on what it means to improve the world. 

Making sure everyone has the basic necessities to survive is the most important first step. Give A Box seeks to create community-wide networks through which volunteers can help distribute much needed supplies (from clothing, to food, to supplies and more) to homeless families and individuals. Homelessness is not just some abstract issue to be discussed and debated; it is an everyday affliction affecting these real people in our own community. Our hands-on approach counters slacktivist culture and immerses volunteers in the issue to make them more empathetic people. At Give a Box, we give hope to the homeless, one community, one family, one person, one box at a time.