We kicked off the second year of our All-Stars program with the kids from Disney Channel's That's So Raven who volunteered to clean up the beach in their community. After the cleanup was done, we caught up with Raven, Orlando Brown (who plays Eddie, Raven's friend), Kyle Orlando Massey (Cory, Raven's brother) and Anneliese van der Pol (Raven's friend Chelsea). Here's what they had to say about getting involved in their neighborhood.

Tell us about your volunteer project.
Raven: We cleaned up trash, painted some garbage cans and made Venice Beach [a section of Los Angeles] a little nicer. It got me inspired to do even more.
Anneliese van der Pol: I started off by first picking up and recycling trash. And then later on I painted trash cans with Raven.

So who's the best garbage-can painter?
Raven: Oh me! It took me only five minutes to paint a trash can, and mine was a beautiful royal blue [laughs]!
Anneliese: Quite true, but it's not quite fair because my paint was goopy and awful [laughs]. Still, she's probably a better painter because I brushed in all different directions.

Have you volunteered before?
Raven: I volunteer for Inner-City Games. I go all around the country with them to talk to kids about teamwork, believing in yourself and staying in school. And if you help one person, you never know how many people that person will help, and then you have started a whole chain of "helpingness."
Orlando Brown: Yes - after school, my friends and I used to dash over to the park and help out. We'd sort out who would do what - like who would lifeguard at the pool and [who would] look after the basketball court.
Anneliese: I've gone to homeless shelters to sing and do performances. I've been doing things like this since I was around 10 years old.
Kyle Orlando Massey: My friends and I picked up trash in our neighborhood in Atlanta [Georgia].

What are some projects you could suggest to kids reading this?
Raven: Gather some friends and a parent and clean up your local park! Or go to a shelter to help feed the homeless.
Orlando: They can go to parks and volunteer. And they can also go to a senior citizens home and see if help is needed.

What are some tips on having fun when volunteering?
Raven: Bring a whole bunch of friends and make a game out of it. Don't be all snobby and think like, "Oh, it's trash." Just put on some gloves and have fun.
Orlando: Volunteering already is fun, because it's volunteering - it's optional. You don't have to do it, but you do it anyway and that really says something about your character. It makes you feel good, which is where the fun comes in.
Anneliese: If you volunteer with people that share the same ideas about helping, you really feel like you're making a difference. And that's fun.