At our start in 2001, Little Bit was powered entirely by volunteers united around a simple belief: every child deserves to have what they need to succeed in school. Today, in many ways, our volunteers are the engine that keeps the wheel turning. With their time and talents, they make it possible for Little Bit to reach 17,500 students across the region with our whole child model and keep the work moving forward.

For volunteers like Steve Anton, it all began with a simple decision to show up. The day after seeing a principal speak on a local news segment about the impact of The Little Bit Foundation in her school, he walked into Little Bit offices and signed up as a volunteer. “I believe I was watching at exactly the right time,” he says. “It was meant to be.”

The retired architect and longtime St. Louisan with “a real love for children” says he was taken with the Little Bit mission from day one. “I was so inspired by everyone and every part of the organization,” he says. In the fall of 2023, he began volunteering as a school rep at Bryan Hill Elementary, alongside Program Coordinator Shai Thomas and longtime volunteer Maureen Bahn.

“Maureen’s been with Little Bit from the beginning and has been a mentor for me, with so much energy,” says Anton. Likewise, he’s been inspired by Thomas’ genuine affinity and connection with the students. The trio meet up at the school on Thursday mornings after Anton collects the student orders, averaging 15-20 each week, from the Little Bit warehouse.

Although Bryan Hill’s enrollment declined after the 2025 tornado forced many families to relocate, Anton says the need has remained just as great. At the start of each school year, the team is busy fitting students with new uniforms. As the seasons change, the focus shifts to coats and shoes, and by year’s end, they are making sure students have clothing and extra undergarments to carry them through the summer.

The satisfaction and relief is immediate for students when they receive their items, says Anton. “Sometimes, we’ll bring a pair of shoes for a student but he’ll come to school without socks. It’s a good feeling to let him go through the bin of socks in the boutique to pick out a couple of pairs to go with his new shoes.”

Anton describes Bryan Hill as a close-knit school community, with a hands-on principal and supportive teachers. But if you ask him what keeps him coming back each week, the answer is simple: the students. “They’re consistently positive and will wrap themselves around your knees just to give you a hug,” he says. “One little boy looked at the logo on my Little Bit shirt—the big and little stick figures—and said, ‘That’s you and me!’ Moments like that remind you that the basic nature of human beings is to love.”

Anton says volunteering also reminds a person that life is bigger than ourselves. “It’s good to focus on someone else, and with volunteering, you definitely get more out of it than you contribute.”