As an eighth grader at Beaver Lake Middle School, Kevin Vu didn’t realize that a simple day of volunteering would develop a passion for helping others and that it would lead to the establishment of his own non-profit, Students Helping Students (SHS).

Today SHS is a youth-run organization based at Bellevue’s Interlake High School committed to providing educational supplies to underserved children both locally and abroad.

SHS has raised thousands of dollars in the past few years through fundraising and grants. However, instead of keeping the profit from their revenue, SHS uses the money it earns to purchase school supplies and deliver them directly to those in need.

SHS contacted Erin Jones, the assistant superintendent of student achievement in Washington state, who recommended the group help the Tukwila and Renton school because their students were the most in need this year.

SHS responded by delivering $1,000 worth of composition books or spiral notebooks to Renton, Hazen and Lindbergh high schools.

Kevin founded Pencils Fight Poverty, the precursor to Students Helping Students, in November 2009 after being inspired by his eighth grade teacher, Curtis Betzler. One day he volunteered to box school supplies for the Generation Joy Foundation, an organization which donates supply boxes to South Africa.

“I was deeply inspired by the way Betzler took his ‘ordinary’ life and used it to do something extraordinary,” Kevin said. However, he never could have fathomed how far he could take his nonprofit.

Though it was only founded two years ago, the organization’s rapidly expanding team of 10 students has secured $2,700 in grants from organizations such as Youth Venture, Mother House, and Do Something. Additionally Kevin and his team have organized donation days at local malls where anyone can stop by and provide a financial or school supply donation.

With this money, last year SHS donated $1,000 worth of supplies to South Africa though GenJoy, $500 to Highland Middle School in Bellevue, and sponsored Highland’s robotics team.

This year SHS is focusing its efforts on the Tukwila School District and, with the support of the public, will be able to provide local students with the supplies they need to succeed in school. People who want to make a donation or want more information on Students Helping Students or its founder, Kevin Vu, can contact Emily Jiang at emily_jiang@studentshelpingstudents.org