Emily W. was upset when she heard about a tragic house fire in her town. So she started Project SAFE (Save A Friend Everyday) to make sure everyone in Creston, Nebraska, had working smoke alarms. She also got money from a company to buy alarms for those who didn't have them and gave demonstrations on how to change batteries and test the alarms.

Q. How did you start the project?

Emily: I went through the phone book and started calling people. I asked them if they had a smoke alarm on every level of their house and if they had tested it this month.

Q. What if they said no?

Emily: I asked them to test it while I was on the phone. If they said they didn't have a smoke alarm, I gave them one. My goal was to make my community 100 percent safe from a house fire.

Q. What would you tell kids about volunteering?

Emily: It's a good thing to do. It's work, but the feeling you get is worth it!