CARELink began with a single question: How can young people create lasting change in their communities?
The answer emerged at the Katherine Hanley Family Shelter, where our founders started volunteering and quickly recognized both urgent needs and untapped potential. Families needed basic supplies. Children craved engaging activities. And young volunteers were eager to make a meaningful impact.
We started small—hosting STEM workshops for children, teaching them about aerodynamics through paper airplane building, physics through catapult challenges, and engineering through marshmallow tower construction. The children's enthusiasm was infectious, and their curiosity reminded us why hands-on learning matters.
As we listened to families and shelter staff, we expanded our efforts. We partnered with school clubs and nonprofits to lead more activities and organized donation drives for essentials like diapers, shampoo, toothpaste, and other hygiene products that families desperately needed. We even donated a ping pong table to create a recreational space where residents could gather, play, and build community.
What started as one project at one shelter has evolved into something much larger a network of youth-led service connecting multiple locations across Virginia. Our volunteers include high school students, college students, and young professionals who believe in the power of direct service and community connection.
Today, CARELink represents a growing movement. We've learned that sustainable impact comes from consistency, compassion, and collaboration. Every workshop we host, every supply box we deliver, and every event we organize strengthens the fabric of our communities.
We're just getting started, and we invite you to be part of this journey.
