Teens’ nonprofit redistributes uniforms, helping families and cutting waste

Quick Smiles:

• Desmond and Ethan Hua are helping San Mateo families get free school uniforms.
• The brothers’ nonprofit, HOPE, has kept about 13,000 uniforms out of landfills.
• The effort now serves families through collection bins at nine participating schools.

Desmond and Ethan Hua are transforming their San Mateo community by collecting and redistributing donated school uniforms to families in need. The brothers launched their nonprofit, HOPE, after seeing a peer wearing shorts on a freezing day because he lacked extra pants.

The initiative provides a vital lifeline for low-income families while also protecting the environment. By keeping clothing out of landfills, the project helps reduce methane emissions and shrink the region’s carbon footprint.

“We take in gently used school uniforms from families who no longer need them, and we redistribute them back to families in the community,” Ethan told CBS News San Francisco.

Operating out of their family garage, the brothers manage plastic chests filled with neatly folded garments of all sizes. They fulfill specific requests from students and leave the supplies in collection bins located at nine participating public schools.

“It started with our school, and then now the whole program is across our district,” said Bayside Academy principal Maria Demattei. “We are thrilled that we can contribute to that, to our Mother Earth.”

The program has already diverted approximately 13,000 articles of clothing from landfills, reaching over 1,400 families. Ethan’s dedication recently earned him the Dr. Cora Clemons Emerging Young Samaritan Award for his impactful service.

“HOPE has saved roughly 13,000 articles of school uniforms from being thrown away by families,” said Ethan.

These inspiring teens prove that a simple observation can lead to a massive positive impact for both people and the planet.

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