Kenan Pala was only 11 years old when he founded the nonprofit organization Kids4Community in 2017. Growing up in his hometown of San Diego, Kenan was born with a servant’s heart. He loved to volunteer at soup kitchens, beach cleanups, and more. He always looked for opportunities to serve others in his community but soon found out that many places he wanted to volunteer at had age restrictions. To his surprise, many of the local nonprofits he wished to support only allowed people over the age of 18 to volunteer. Kenan’s dream to create a solution to this problem was realized when he founded an organization that not only accepted but also encouraged children of all ages to volunteer and serve in their communities. In Kenan’s words, “All our events are open to anybody of any age. If you have the passion, you can come.” Kids4Community funds programs for a variety of social issues. Two years later, it has raised more than $1 million dollars for homeless initiatives, for example, gathering and cooking meals for homeless shelters. It also strives to promote awareness of other concerns such as educational programs for kids and adults about the dangers of substance abuse. In honor of Kenan Pala and the difference he has made in his city, the mayor of San Diego named January 23, Kenan Pala Day. But Kenan’s influence didn’t stop in San Diego. The organization changed the lives of countless people by preparing more than 8,000 packs of food, beverages, soaps, shampoos and wet wipes for homeless people. They were donated to institutions for the homeless across the U.S. In 2017, he was named one of the top ten youth volunteers in the country by the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards. Kenan Pala has made a significant difference in his hometown of San Diego and communities everywhere. Kids4Community is fostering an eagerness to serve the less fortunate in the lives of children of all ages.
Read more about Kids4Community here.
I love this whole idea! I really hadn’t thought about the age restrictions for working as a volunteer. Kenan proves it doesn’t matter how old you are to start a simple job. He took his passion and put it into action, something I can say many young children are too afraid to do. This is really inspirational. Kenan truly has a heart of gold, looking for the welfare of the homeless and his community. With his business, he has made others more aware of the homeless and how kids can also be involved in aiding people!