Lighting the Spark (of Volunteerism)

You never know what lights the spark in a person to volunteer but back in 2016 and at the age of 8, Emmi wanted to find a way to say ‘Thank You’ to all the men and women who serve our country. She decided to collect candy for the USO.

So in 4th grade, she reached out to the USO at Richmond International Airport (RIC), rallied her classmates, and made her first delivery of 70 pounds of candy to the USO at RIC. The passion was sparked and she continues her mission gathering support from family, friends, local schools, and businesses. To continue the mission after graduation, Emmi enlisted a protégée, family friend, Kennedy.

In 2022 Emmi and Kennedy delivered over 1000 pounds of candy, 240 cups of Ramen, 560 Kool-Aid Jammers, chips, and 200 cards from local school children. The smiles that light up on service members’ faces when they see their favorite candy are priceless. Emmi also wants to give a shout-out to all those who have rallied around this project as she could not do it without their help. Thank you to Emmi for making the USO her mission to support.

Interested in how you can support the USO, CLICK HERE.