There is a simple reason why Erin White wants to lend a hand to those in need.

She says it feels good.

White, who is 21 and has autism, has been spending her time giving back to struggling families through volunteer work at a Seattle homeless shelter.

After graduating from Orcas Island High School three years ago, Erin began taking classes at the Alyssa Burnett Adult Life Center in Bothell, Washington. She switched to online courses at the onset of COVID but began attending again in person this past January.

While at home during the pandemic, White became interested in assisting the homeless and wanted to donate a large portion of money she had saved from working at a local farm. She and her mom Tess began researching shelters online and discovered Mary’s Place, a non-profit organization that operates five emergency family shelters in King County. After Erin learned that it provides specialty bags and kits for its clients, she started building Baby’s Best Start Bags, which are filled with items like diapers, wipes and ointment.

Initially, the Whites purchased the contents themselves, but after Erin created an Amazon wishlist and they posted it on Facebook, the community stepped forward in a big way.

“We were getting boxes every day,” her dad Greg remembers. “We didn’t know what was coming or who sent it. It was part of the fun.”

Three of Erin’s former teachers — Suzanne McClure, Kathy Staub and Susan Stolmeier — quilted baby blankets to include in the bags as well. After putting together the kits at home, Erin delivered them in person to Mary’s Place. It was such a positive experience that Greg arranged for his daughter to help out at the Kenmore facility on a weekly basis.

“It’s just a few miles from her classes at the Alyssa Burnett Center, so it’s perfect,” he said.

Erin says she “does whatever needs to be done,” which includes sorting clothes, cleaning the kitchen and putting together hair care bags, COVID isolation kits and “Welcome Home” baskets for clients who have secured housing.

According to her parents, Erin has previously required a job coach to assist her with employment endeavors. But at Mary’s Place, the volunteer coordinator supports Erin by implementing a visual schedule to help her complete tasks and connects with Tess and Greg regularly.

“I’m so proud of her. Everything about this has been her own idea,” Greg said.

Erin is still working to gather more items and she has two wish lists on Amazon: Baby’s Best Start Bags (https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/34ESGV4ZWFZPE?ref_=wl_share) and Multicultural Hair Care Kits (https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1QM3FI2QU9Y3O?ref_=wl_share).

Greg drives Erin to Seattle each week for school and volunteering. Her current classes are story writing, elements of art and physical education. Students at the center also participate in outings a few times a month for such activities as rock climbing, working with therapy horses and riding bikes.

As a realtor, Greg has a flexible work schedule and is Erin’s primary caregiver during this phase of her life. They are traveling to Las Vegas in the fall to accompany Greg’s aunt as she’s inducted into a hall of fame for basketball coaches.

Tess is an educator for the Toddler Learning Center, which is based in Oak Harbor and serves San Juan County. She works with special needs kids from ages birth to three. The couple’s other children are 23-year-old Grayson, who just bought his first house in Michigan and is completing his PhD in forestry and statistics, and Willow, 18, who is heading off to Reed College next week.

One of Greg’s favorite moments was while he was standing outside the shelter, waiting for Erin to finish her shift.

“I saw a client with one of the baby bags Erin had created — it was zebra-printed and filled with stuff. It was really cool to see that,” he said.