How a Round Rock student-led nonprofit is addressing homelessness

ROUND ROCK, Texas (KXAN) -- A year after a group of Round Rock high schoolers launched a nonprofit to aid students experiencing homelessness, the organization has expanded its reach to help aid families struggling with food and housing security districtwide.

Round Rock High School junior Andrew Vu is a founder and now CEO of Project Red, a nonprofit launched as a food drive and warm winter clothes drive following icy winter storms in early 2023.

The initial goal was to alleviate homelessness by connecting impacted students with food, hygiene kits and other essential resources. Round Rock ISD officials estimated roughly XXX students are experiencing homelessness, as of the 2023-24 school year.

Alongside its own efforts, Project Red also works closely with other entities like charitable organization HopeAustin, whose core focus centers on feeding students who struggle with food insecurity. In the past year, though, Vu told KXAN the group has broadened out to service impacted families in the district.

"Our main basis of Project Red is now managing families experiencing homelessness, because we know that -- we found out through the past couple of fundraisers we've done, most of the funding doesn't necessarily just go to the students and our resources don't just go to the students, but they go to their families as well," he said. "We found that even students, they're supporting their families with the meal kits, with the snack kits that they're getting from the school districts. And we thought it was something great to capitalize on."

Vu said while the organization has continued its food and clothing drives, it's also introduced mental health kits that outline area resources where people can seek help. Included in those kits is also meditation advice and ways to access mental health apps to assist those who might be struggling.

"These families, they're experiencing so much stress while providing for their families, providing for their own self-income, providing for their housing, all of that," Vu said. "And their mind is just going 100 miles per hour constantly. So I think we thought that meditation kits, meditation kits would just make such a better impact."

As the organization has broadened its service scope, so, too has it expanded on its volunteer base. When it started last year, Project Red had about 20 volunteers; now, the organization has grown to more than 100.

Vu said he's excited that volunteers not only help day-of at fundraising events, but also learn more about the planning processes behind events, how the organization manages funds and other key insight into keeping the nonprofit operational.

With its expanded pipeline of volunteers comes a large managerial group at the helm. Vu said the nonprofit's management team has grown from its initial two founders to six members. Those on the leadership team help manage financials, plan marketing initiatives and stay on top of social media engagement and outreach.

As the organization continues to evolve, Vu said he wants to double its volunteer base to more than 200 people participating in the front and backend of events. Other benchmarks include bolstering Project Red's leadership team to 10 members, as well as increasing its funds raised to $3,000 in 2024. So far, the organization has already raised $2,000, he added.

Those funds raised will include volunteers and nonprofit leaders continue its fundraising efforts in purchasing food and materials for its health kits. Other opportunities include signing up for volunteer work, or even considering joining the organization as a core member.

For Vu, he said his passion for the nonprofit's mission isn't only professional, but personal, as well. He said he personally knows and has several friends facing homelessness who need essential resources. Housing and food insecurity isn't just an abstract concept, he said, but something that has a name and a face.

"I really want to get deep down into this issue -- get it solved for my friend, for his family, for the entire school," Vu said.

More details on Project Red, including donation and volunteer opportunities, are available online and on Instagram.