Five years ago, Emma Vulpi was watching YouTube videos when she came across a St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital advertisement. While her video quickly resumed and her night went on as usual, she could not stop thinking about the children from the ad.
“A few weeks after her seventh birthday party in December, Emma expressed that she knew how she wanted to spend all of the gift cards that she received,” said Michele Vulpi, Emma’s mother and a former Little Leaguer® and umpire. “She said, ‘Santa gives me everything I need, I don’t need anything more. I want to help sick kids in the hospital.’”
With $300 in gift cards, the East Meadow (N.Y.) Little League softball player and her mother went out and purchased toys and pajamas for the children at a local hospital in New York. When Emma turned eight, she had just one request for those attending her birthday party – no gifts. On her invite, she requested gift cards and pajamas in a variety of youth sizes and because of that was able to donate $1,000 worth of toys and pajamas to the hospital in year two.
“I was just so proud of her,” said Ms. Vulpi. “Her father and I have always tried to instill in her that she is very lucky to be in a family who has the means to make sure she is taken care of. Even with her father passing away, he has made sure we are taken care of, and we are fortunate to have family and friends who continue to be there for us. We have what we need in life so why not give to those who don’t have all that they need.”
After two years of giving back to the hospital, Ms. Vulpi and Emma had a decision to make – keep donating to the hospital or see who else in the community might need help. With a little assistance from Emma’s grandfather, a former Vice President of East Meadow LL, and extensive research, the family found the John Theissen Children’s Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping sick and underprivileged children in the Long Island, New York, area.
“Emma and I have done Breakfasts with Santa in local shelters, which opened her eyes to the fact that there are children in need outside of hospitals, too,” said Ms. Vulpi. “When we found the John Theissen Foundation, we decided to make the switch because not only does he help sick and underprivileged kids, broadening who we would be helping, but also because he is a small foundation and does not receive year-round donations.”
In their fourth year of donating to the John Theissen Foundation, Ms. Vulpi and Emma expect to make their biggest donation of toys and pajamas with nearly $10,000 raised with the help of their community.
“Our basement is covered with donations right now,” said Ms. Vulpi. “It is nice to know you come from a community that supports your endeavors to help kids that need help. Right now, we have a donation box at a local Italian meat shop and just after one week of it being there, it has been filled to the brim twice already.”
For her efforts within the community as well as her inspiration on the field, Emma was recognized as a Little League® Community Hero, Presented by New York Life, in December 2024. Since 2020, the Community Heroes recognition program has highlighted those dedicated individuals who not only volunteer their time at your local Little League program but also contribute in other ways to make the community better. While receiving recognitions like the Community Heroes program is rewarding for Emma, it is the fact that she is helping others year after year that keeps her going; and after six years of raising funds and collecting donations, she has some advice for others who might want to do the same.
“This might sound dumb, but we have a lot of extra space that we don’t regularly use or need. I mean our entire basement is full of toys right now,” said Emma. “Reach out to people and ask them what they need… We called the hospital to ask them what the kids actually needed before we started buying anything. Also, it’s important that you don’t care what other people think and just do it.”
To learn more about the Little League Community Heroes recognition program, Presented by New York Life, and to nominate a Community Hero in your league, visit LittleLeague.org/Community Heroes.