SAMMIE VANCE

YOUNG COMMUNITY CHANGEMAKERENVIRONMENTALIST
Written By Say Your Pease contact

Building Connections and Protecting the Planet, One Bench at a Time

Photo courtesy of Sammie Vance

“You don’t just have to be an adult to make a difference, you can be a kid too. One kind act can go a long way. Start with a smile, and who knows it could lead to a conversation and maybe even a new friendship.”

Creating Connection through the Buddy Bench

Imagine a playground where no child sits alone. Sammie Vance turned this vision into reality with just a simple idea—a bench. Not just any bench though, but one that invites friendship and champions sustainability.

At just 8 years old, Sammie first encountered the concept of the Buddy Bench during a summer camp in 2017 —a bench designed as a safe space for children feeling isolated, signaling their desire for a friend.

Motivated by this simple yet profound idea, Sammie embarked on a mission to install a 6-foot bench with a backrest at each of the two playgrounds at her school in Fort Wayne, Indiana, taking a very distinctive approach: The benches had to be crafted from recycled plastic caps and lids. This strategy not only reduces costs but also enhances environmental sustainability. 

“I want everyone to have a friend and to encourage more recycling.”

Photo courtesy of Sammie Vance

For a single bench, Sammie needed 400 pounds of recycled materials, equivalent to roughly 10 (55-gallon) drums. She rallied the Fort Wayne community to collect plastic caps and lids and achieved remarkable milestones far beyond her own school. Starting with a single plastic cap, her project has grown from a local initiative to a national and international movement, driving social and environmental change. 

“Dear Sammy, thank you so much for our Buddy Bench. I sat down on the Buddy Bench and a friend came to ask to play and I said yes and I’ve never been sad at recess any more.” 

— 4th grader

Over the past seven years — as of 2024, Sammie is 15 years old — she has helped over 500 groups install Buddy Benches in schools and parks across the United States and in other countries like Mexico, Australia, Germany, and Ghana. “There might even be some countries I am not aware of,” she says. 

Sammie has won several awards for her work and been featured in many news outlets. Major corporations have stepped up to support her cause, aiding in everything from collecting caps and lids, to producing and transporting recycled benches across the US. Sammie hopes to extend these partnerships to secure free transportation for the benches to additional countries.

As Sammie looks to the future, she is committed to growing her project even further. Her goal remains clear: to ensure no child feels alone. With every recycled bench she helps to install, she spreads joy and fosters new friendships, continuing her journey one smile, one conversation, and one bench at a time.

 

A Catalyst for Change

Sammie’s benches are more than just places to sit—they symbolize community, care, and the positive change one young person can initiate.

Sammie has shared key insights for aspiring changemakers:

  • Identify a Problem: "Find a problem that you want to solve."

  • Find a Solution: "Find a solution to that problem."

  • Take Action: "Take action and get the word out."

  • Involve the Community: "Get as many people involved as you can."

  • Believe in Impact: "Realize the impact that you are making and believe that you can do more!"

These principles have guided her through various challenges, reinforcing that age is just a number when it comes to making a real difference. Sammie’s commitment to small acts of kindness and her active involvement in community and environmental initiatives have inspired individuals of all ages to take action in their own communities.

In her 2021 book, Inspire the World: A Kid's Journey to Making a Difference, Sammie explores themes of recycling, community support, and courage. She writes,

“I want to inspire the world one kid at a time.”

A powerful reminder that true connections and understanding begin with simple, open invitations to engage.

As each recycled cap melts down to form a new Buddy Bench, walls between children dissolve, fostering lasting friendships across the globe and building a world of peace, one bench at a time.

Say Your Peace extends heartfelt thanks to Sammie Vance and her mother for their cooperation in making this feature possible, helping to disseminate a message of hope and action far and wide.

 

More Quotes from Sammie Vance

“My definition of Inspire: Fill someone with the desire to make a difference and do something good.”

— Inspire the World: A Kid's Journey to Making a Difference


“If you’re a shy person like me, and you’re too scared to go up to someone and ask them if you can play with them, a Buddy Bench is like a signal, so those kids that are shy or lonely can sit on there where other people know to come up to them and ask them to play.”

— Sammie's Buddy Bench Project


Sources:

Say Your Pease contact
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