Investing in Our Youth with Olivia Larson

Olivia Larson's life was changed after learning about poverty in Buffalo in her Spanish class sophomore year of high school. She went home and did research, where she found out the childhood poverty rate in Buffalo in 2016 was 44 percent. ​ After learning this statistic, a fire was lit in Olivia, the desire to make a change. Olivia began Seeds of Change, a collection drive at her parish, Nativity of Our Lord. After collecting hundreds of items for Gerard Place and Family Promise of WNY, Olivia wanted to do something that would make a bigger impact. In October of 2018, sixteen year-old Olivia founded For Every Little Handprint. In March of 2019, Olivia received 501(c)(3) status for the organization. Olivia's experiences in school and as a teenager have informed the programs she has and continues to develop to serve Buffalo in the city and surrounding areas. ​ For Every Little Handprint Inc. strives to foster a love for and commitment to learning. We help children in poverty preserve a sense of curiosity, creativity, and discovery as they navigate life's challenges and build exciting visions for their futures.