For several years, a group of Round Rock High School students have been helping fellow students experiencing homelessness through Project Red, raising over $10,000 and engaging more than 100 student volunteers.
For several years, a group of Round Rock High School students have been helping fellow students experiencing homelessness through Project Red, raising over $10,000 and engaging more than 100 student volunteers.
Project Red is a student-based nonprofit founded in 2022 by two high schoolers looking to give back. Andrew Vu, cofounder of Project Red, recalls that the idea came to him and his friend one afternoon while they were sitting in his garage – the friends quickly wrote it down on a napkin they had nearby. That napkin has since grown into a group with over 100 student volunteers joining forces to help those in need, raising more than $10,000 over the past four years to fight student homelessness, together.
At its inception, Project Red was created as a way to provide aid to Ukrainian refugees by gathering supplies for care packages. After their initial idea to help refugees, they decided to look at the needs of our own community and found that there were a lot of students in their own school who were experiencing homelessness. After this realization they began to think of all of the ways in which they could help – and that’s how they began connecting with other local organizations to serve to our unhoused neighbors weekly. In addition to raising money, they also put together hygiene kits, serve food each Sunday, and spread awareness to this “hidden community”of children and teens experiencing homelessness.
The true mission of Project Red is not only to help feed and clothe their peers, but also to inspire future generations. Says Vu, “At Project Red, we’re not just feeding people — we’re fueling futures. By fighting student homelessness with every meal, we’re showing the world that compassion starts with action.” Compassion is just what they’ve shown! Project Red meets each Sunday and volunteers with various organizations focused on feeding our community, such as the We Can Now Foundation, delivering nutritious meals to any member of our community in need. They believe that working together with these organizations can help them to better fill the gaps of service for those in need. This includes focusing on how to provide students who rely on free or reduced school lunches with meals or food gift cards over school breaks where they may face serious food insecurity. Project Red raises money through various fundraising events, as well as community donations and has no plans of stopping soon! In 2025, their goal is to double their student involvement and in turn be able to double their already incredible impact on our community.
