Detroit Catholic Central Kid Makes Big Impression On Volunteerism

NOVI, MI – At 15 years old and weighing in somewhere under 100 pounds, Caleb White is a giant among his fellow students at Detroit Catholic Central High School. He’s a wrestler (in the 103-pound class) and a cross-country runner. He’s a good student, too, say school administrators

What makes this kid from Northville notable, though, is his drive to not only help others, but to also get his fellow students to enlist in his massive volunteer efforts through his Caleb White Project to combat homelessness in and around Detroit. Since starting that effort, young Caleb has recruited some 3,500 other people, mostly kids, to volunteer.

It’s for his involvement and leadership that he’s one of four kids from across the nation to be honored with a Nickelodeon HALO (Helping and Leading Others) Award. A ceremony-concert to honor Caleb and his three co-honorees will be broadcast on the kids cable channel at 7 p.m. Sunday. During the pre-recorded event, he was joined on stage by the likes of Kelly Clarkson, Kelsea Ballerini, Hey Violet and Why Don’t We.

>>>> Detroit Central Catholic Student Gets Nickelodeon HALO Honor

Those around Caleb in Detroit say he’s deserving of the recognition and others he's received over the years.

"He has a slogan: Everything big starts somewhere small," says Mike Carrier, Detroit Catholic Central’s director of student activities. "He’s a small guy, too, but he’s doing things that are so big."

Caleb’s call to volunteerism came when he was 6-year-old, he said during an interview with Patch. While out with his family in Detroit, he saw a man sleeping on a sidewalk.

"It was the first time I had seen someone who was homeless," Caleb recalled. His parents explained to him why someone might live on the street. "That year, I decided to reach out to family for hats and gloves." He collected 10 boxes of winter clothing to donate to a local shelter.

"And every year, I’d keep packing boxes," Caleb said. "And every year, I kept getting more and more. It just branched off into something much bigger."

Beyond collecting clothing, he started game nights at local shelters, where he, his family and, soon, classmates would hang out with adults and kids at the shelters. He and his army of volunteers have put libraries in shelters around Detroit. They collect school supplies and assemble back-to-school backpacks for students in need. Most recently, they have renovated two houses for families, as well.

Volunteerism "is important to me," Caleb explained. "It’s about empathy. If I was in that person’s position, I would want someone to help me. It’s our duty as humans to help."

The Caleb White Project includes several other students who have been recruited as board members to help run it.

But what’s truly amazing is the scores of kids that he has encouraged to help out at the shelters and with his philanthropic endeavors. Among the 3,500 people he’s recruited to help out in Detroit are kids, their parents and other adults. Some are his classmates. Some are from the public schools. There are football and volleyball players. Honor roll students. All sorts of kids.

"If you saw him walking down the hall with other students, you would never know what great things he does and, just as importantly, the others he motivates," said the Rev. John Huber, the president of Catholic Central. "He has tremendous skills, a caring heart, and gets very passionate when involved in his ministry to God's children in Detroit."

Admittedly, many kids initially are hesitant to come down to a shelter, Caleb acknowledges.

"Once they come down for one project, they get hooked," he said. “People don’t really have the right idea.When they get there, they see these people at the shelter are normal people.”

He points to the kids that help out – and anyone who volunteers in the community – as his personal heroes, he said. The world’s ills do not escape him, either. He notes the violent attacks and terrorism that has happened in the United States and around the globe. “Now, more than ever, there is a need to volunteer," Caleb said. "Since all these bad things are happening, people need to step up.”

Photos courtesy of Nickelodeon