Today we’d like to introduce you to Vivian Ho.
Hi Vivian, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Growing up as a Vietnamese immigrant and the only English speaker in my family, I became the person who read forms, made calls, and figured things out. I learned early that help being available doesn’t mean a family can actually reach it. Somewhere in there, I also started losing touch with my own culture. I was so busy navigating everything in English that the other half of me got quieter.
In middle school, I started volunteering at Title I schools across Austin, and I recognized myself in the students I met. They were curious, ambitious, and ready to learn, but many didn’t have the basic supplies they needed to keep up in class. It wasn’t a lack of effort holding them back. It was a lack of access.
So I co-founded All The Same Organization, a youth-led 501(c)(3) nonprofit, with a team of young people who saw the same issue I did. We began small, running vendor events around Austin and Cedar Park to raise money one weekend at a time. Those events eventually grew into more than $75,000 worth of supplies donated to the underserved communities we support.
What started here in Austin has since grown to more than 200 chapters and 8,000 volunteers, many of them led by young people in their own cities and even other countries. Together, we’ve donated more than 150,000 supplies. This back-to-school season alone, our Austin teams held distribution events at five Title I schools, donating more than 15,000 school supplies to students across the city.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Not at all. The hardest part hasn’t been the work–It’s been getting adults to take me seriously.
The very first proposal my team put together for our own school was flat out denied. We had spent weeks building the whole plan: how the club would function, how we would directly help students at Title I schools. The answer we got back was that students could just go to food banks instead.
I grew up going to food banks. I know how much has to go right just to get there: knowing which days they’re open, being able to read the website, having a way to get there. Saying “just go to a food bank” assumes a family already has all of that. It was proof of exactly the gap we were trying to close.
At our events, adults come up and ask, “Who’s the founder? This is impressive.” When I tell them it’s me, they either look at me in disbelief or laugh it off: “You? No way! You’re so young.” Then they turn and talk to the nearest adult instead.
There were plenty of other no’s early on, too. Schools that didn’t respond, sponsors who passed, grants we didn’t get. Every one of those taught me how to make the next ask stronger.
I’m not the only one facing this. Many of our chapter leaders are even younger than I am, and they hear the same doubts. But they keep going, and their work speaks for itself: chapters featured on local news stations, leaders recognized in their own communities, and thousands of students served.
Being young turned out to be a strength. We understand the students we serve because we were them not long ago.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
All The Same Organization bridges two gaps students face: the resource gap and the culture gap.
For the resource gap, we run a supply packages program where students and families choose what they actually need, from school supplies to food staples, household items, and hygiene products. Help shouldn’t be one-size-fits-all when no family is the same size. Our youth volunteers also provide education and career readiness support, helping students see what’s possible for their futures.
For the culture gap, we run Cultural Surprises. Our volunteers create arts and crafts inspired by students’ cultures, so the traditions that rarely show up at school become something the whole room gets to celebrate. This one is personal. It came from the part of me that got quieter growing up.
What I’m proudest of isn’t a number. At one distribution, a student walked up to me holding her school computer. She had typed a message in Spanish, and Google Translate showed it in English: “Thank you! My family get these packages every month.” For years, I was the one translating for my family. This time, someone was translating for me.
What sets us apart is that we’re built and led entirely by young people, from a chapter in Austin to chapters across the country.
What are your plans for the future?
At the end of September 2026, we’re launching a scholarship/competition for students who create arts and crafts inspired by their own culture. It’s an extension of Cultural Surprises, and I’m excited to see what students make when they’re invited to share where they come from.
Beyond that, I want to keep growing our chapter network and deepen our roots here in Austin, especially with the AISD schools we already serve. I’m also finishing high school and heading to college in 2027, so a big part of my focus is making sure All The Same is built to outlast any one person. The goal is for the next generation of young leaders to take it further than I could alone.
You can follow along at allthesame.org or @allthesameorg on Instagram and TikTok.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://allthesame.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allthesameorg
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/All-The-Same-Organization/61585229415135/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/all-the-sameorg
- Twitter: https://x.com/Allthesame_org
- Other: Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vivianhofficial/
