Preparing for Emergencies

Aaron Shen, 17, of San Gabriel, California, was inspired to help his community after some of his relatives lost their homes to wildfires last year. He and a few friends distributed food and supplies to those in need. That led them to start the Public Health and Safety Youth Coalition (PHSYC), a nonprofit that donates disaster supplies to immigrant and low-income families, offers emergency preparedness workshops, and more.

A: We’ve donated around 50,000 supplies so far. We’ve also been able to do work internationally. After recent earthquakes in Venezuela, we partnered with a local organization and sent over drawstring bags full of disaster relief supplies, for example.

A: Disasters happen in an instant, so basic knowledge about how to prepare is important. We’ve taught people how to pack go bags full of at least 72 hours of supplies and how to read fire risk maps, which can be complicated.

A: I’ve learned to be bold, to just go for it. Because we’re in high school, people can be a little skeptical of how we’re doing this. I think it’s important to be able to advocate for yourself and show them your accomplishments and the impact you’ve made.

^{(This interview was edited and condensed for length and clarity.)}