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Youth from Help on the Go’s Project Muse create a mural at The Salvation Army Seimon Center preschool.
In South Los Angeles, a once-blank preschool wall now bursts with color—featuring the letters of the alphabet alongside images of the sky, trees and animals—at The Salvation Army Siemon Center. The mural is a mark of service created by young volunteers from Help on the Go who spent their summer learning their time and talents can leave a lasting impact.
Help on the Go was founded in 2021 by LA-area students as an online peer tutoring service during the pandemic. Since then, it has evolved into a student-led nonprofit that enriches Salvation Army programs across multiple cities, weaving art, music and education into opportunities for both service and leadership.
“This is more than tutoring or painting walls,” said Julia Jung, Help on the Go founder. “It’s about giving our young people purpose and letting them see how their gifts can make a difference.”
The mural is part of Project Muse, Help on the Go’s visual arts branch. Over several months, youth volunteers designed and painted the wall, section by section—using digital tools to map out the alphabet and illustrations before bringing them to life with brushes and paint.
“We wanted to create something for the kids,” said Ryan Kim, one of the student volunteers. “But it was also for us—to learn how to plan, to paint and to keep showing up.”
That spirit of commitment extended beyond the wall itself. Earlier, volunteer Sky Lee helped organize a benefit concert that raised $5,000 for the Siemon Center—funding both the mural and new technology for the preschool and after-school programs.
“What these young people have done here is more than paint a mural,” said Major Lisa Barnes, The Salvation Army’s Divisional Secretary of Metro Los Angeles. “This is hope on a wall. This is going to inspire the kids who go to this preschool to dream bigger, knowing there are people in their community who care about them and believe in them.”
Help on the Go’s music outreach, Classic4U, began when students brought instruments to a senior residence to play “Happy Birthday.” From there it grew into monthly concerts for seniors at Silvercrest residences and veterans at the Bell Shelter.
“We saw people remember songs. Some would cry. We just kept going,” said Lena Kim, who co-founded the ensemble with Sky Lee in 2021.
The idea has since spread. Earlier this year, volunteers in Bellevue, Washington formed a second ensemble modeled on Classic4U. Today, they perform at the Eastside Corps and nearby facilities, while also tutoring younger students.
What began as an online tutoring program during the pandemic has evolved into a network of student volunteers serving at Salvation Army centers in Modesto and Tri-Cities, California; Tucson, Arizon; Bellevue and Los Angeles.
In LA, 30 Help on the Go volunteers spent their summer assisting at the Red Shield’s camp, leading art, science, music and sports activities for children. That same group is now developing Project Grow, a garden and nutrition initiative at the center.
And the vision reaches beyond U.S. borders. This year, Help on the Go also partnered with The Salvation Army in South Korea, where college students from the U.S. led online English sessions with high schoolers and hosted two in-person workshops during summer visits.
“This is about students seeing each other as resources,” Jung said, “and then bringing that energy to places that need it.”
Help on the Go’s impact is also being noticed beyond its programs. The group recently received a certificate of recognition from the Los Angeles Mayor’s Office, with an awards ceremony scheduled for October—affirming the growing role of youth-led service in the city.
As the Siemon Center’s mural celebration came to a close, students gathered beneath their finished work for a photo. Behind them, the wall stretched wide—alive with color and letters that preschoolers will see each day as they play.
“Help on the Go is a powerful example of what it means to serve,” Barnes said. This is what the kingdom of God looks like—people using their gifts to make the world brighter, bring more joy and leave a mark of beauty that points toward hope.”
For Siemon Center Director Edwin Perry, the moment marked both an ending and a beginning.
“My heart is so warm seeing the vision that started on paper come to life,” he said. “It is a wonderful feeling, because so many kids who come through the preschool and our after-school program will be able to see hope.”
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