Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Sarah Xu. Read her story, and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light.
When Sarah Xu was a competitive dancer, repeated comments about her body from a new teacher changed how she saw herself, and the insecurity lingered long after she left that studio. For a long time, even with disordered eating and body dysmorphia, she believed she wasn’t “sick enough” to deserve help. That belief eventually became the seed of EmpowerED, the 501(c)(3) she founded to address the mental health impacts of eating disorders and body image struggles, especially among students and athletes.
Today, EmpowerED reaches far beyond one person’s story. Roughly 300 volunteers across more than 30 countries power an anonymous Hotline Forum that has fielded over 600 messages, a Recovery Library of some 70 personal narratives, and Mirror Messages — cards of volunteer-written encouragement distributed in community spaces like the dance studios where Sarah’s own struggles began. Nearly 2,000 cards have gone out through 15 active chapters worldwide.
Sarah believes no one should have to struggle alone, or reach a certain level of suffering to deserve support. Sometimes one resource, or one honest conversation, is enough to save someone’s life.
Do you want to make a difference in your community like Sarah? Find local volunteer opportunities.