Many outstanding seniors have had meaningful impacts on the people around them and Olivia Vibbert is one of them.

  Vibbert received multiple nominations for the Senior Spotlight highlighting her positive personality and a program she founded called “Cold Feet Warm Hearts.”

  “I nominated Olivia because she donates socks to the less fortunate and because she is a very kind and generous person that is always willing to help others,” sophomore Zachary Coleman said.

  Vibbert started Cold Feet Warm Hearts in 7th grade as a Family, Career and Community Leaders of America project.

  “The year before, my family and I had been homeless for two months which inspired me to donate and help people who continue to go through the same thing I have,” Vibbert said.

  Vibbert’s original goal was to collect 100 pairs of socks to donate locally. After posting about her project, it received a lot of attention and she met her goal in just one day.

   Since the project began, Vibbert has expanded her platform. To date, she has collected over 10,000 socks and has received donations from every state. But she didn’t just stop there. She has received donations from other countries including Canada, France, England, Ireland, Norway, Egypt, and Australia.

   “My family has been a huge help, my mom helped me set up my social media pages and my family and friends helped me get the word out about what I wanted to accomplish,” Vibbert said. “My friends have also helped me put together bags, and other projects to donate to the homeless in Charlottesville and Richmond.”

  Although her project started with collecting socks, she has since collected other donations. Last April, she donated kits with cake mix, candles, and frosting to help people celebrate their birthdays. She has also donated to battered women and children’s shelters, veteran’s shelters, and the Homeless Bus in New York City. In addition, she volunteers at the Equine Sanctuary in Louisa.

   “Being able to give back to my community and affect the lives of others in a positive way is what motivates me to keep doing this,” Olivia Vibbert said.

    Vibbert is still accepting donations. You can donate by messaging her on Facebook or Instagram @coldfeetwarmhearts, or Amazon wishlist.

   Not only has Vibbert left her mark outside of school, but she has also made an impact inside the school. Vibbert is an outstanding student in the classroom and a great peer. She participates in extracurricular activities including Sources of Strength, Hiking Club, and National Art Honor Society.

    “Olivia is a super student,” Algebra teacher Peter Coen said. “I enjoyed having her in the Algebra class I taught. She was always smiling and ready to learn. She is an amazing young woman, thinking of others constantly.”

   After she graduates, Vibbert plans to continue to care for her community while in college and dreams to become an immigration lawyer so she can follow her passion of helping those in need.