When children first learn about the concept of homelessness, they usually meet it with great sadness. Most kids think of small ways to help those in need, like donating food, loose change, or anything else that might help that person’s current situation.
One little girl was particularly concerned with the state of homelessness in her local community. When she was five years old, Hailey Fort decided to help a homeless man in her town of Bremerton, Washington, by getting him a sandwich. Feeling that the food simply wasn’t enough, Hailey went from being a caring passerby to serving as a young activist. What she’s been doing to help the homeless population in her town over the past four years is proof that her capacity for compassion is greater than that of most adults.
Hailey, now nine years old, is tackling homelessness in her town with a two-pronged approach. She decided to build mobile shelters and begin gardening to help house and feed the people who need it most.
Called “Hailey’s Harvest,” the young hero is sustainably planting fruits and vegetables to generate 250 pounds of food.
And yes, this is a nine-year-old child using power tools better than you can.
The 12 mobile shelters she’s built will serve as temporary housing for her homeless friends.
The first house that Hailey built went to her longtime homeless friend Edward — the man she brought a sandwich to four years ago.
Ever the conservator, she uses recycled denim for insulation and solar panels for electricity.
The houses also include locks for safely securing people’s possessions.
For her incredible efforts, Hailey was awarded a $3,000 grant by philanthropic organization Together Rising to continue her development of these shelters.
Lowes also stepped in to help by offering a 50 percent discount on all supplies used for Hailey’s project.
Hailey aims to acquire 1000 toiletries, 500 feminine hygiene products, and 100 coats for her homeless friends.
Many of these supplies are donated by members of the community, who fully support Hailey in her endeavors.
Above all, Hailey is the youngest activist to not only help her local homeless community, but actually do so with a hands-on approach.
She does a lot of the building and the gardening herself, but her mom also helps out where she can.
(via My Modern Met, ABC News)
The grant and donations from the community have certainly helped Hailey grow her garden and shelter projects. However, the young activist still needs as much help as she can get. Head on over to her GoFundMe campaign to help make Hailey’s friends’ lives a lot easier. You can check out her official Facebook page for more updates on her tremendous work.
