10-Yr-Old Alabama Boy Is Hero for the Homeless

• A friendship with a homeless man led 10-year-old Ethan D. Hill into helping his local homeless community.
• He started with care packages, to camping materials, warm clothing, and sleeping bags for the winter months.
• During the COVID-19 pandemic, he shifted to PPE, hand sanitizers, gloves, and masks.

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When Ethan D. Hill of Birmingham, Alabama, met a homeless man named Mr. Marcus, it led him to years of finding ways to help those who are living on the streets.

He recalls that his talk with Mr. Marcus while walking to school sparked a friendship between them. “He’s a very nice man. He lives under the bridge. (It’s) starting to get cold, so I was asking and googling and seeing if there’s anything I can do to help them and see what clothing is needed and what they need to survive.”

He’s only 10-years-old but he has already led the Bags4Blessings program and founded his organization, “Ethan’s Heart,” to help the homeless in the past 4 years.

Ethan’s local homeless community has been the recipients of care packages that he has assembled and distributed in his free time.

Monetary and essential material donations like toilet paper and dental floss are received by the Ethan’s Heart organization.  During the freezing winter months, he gives out sleeping bags and warm clothing.

Through all of Ethan’s big-hearted work, he does not expect anything in return, recognition, or praise. He believes that helping is natural and encourages everyone to lend a helping hand.

He explained that it is not all about you and that it is not a you story. “Like they say, ‘Walk a mile in somebody else’s shoes.’ You gotta do that and see what they’re going through, their perspective,” he added.

The COVID-19 pandemic introduced changes in the kind of donations that he hands out, from hygiene and camping supplies to PPE.

Ethan says they need masks, gloves, and hand sanitizers to be protected from the virus.

The young hero says that helping others is not just giving out money but showing kindness to those who need it.

Ethan hopes that through his story, others will also be encouraged and inspired to do acts of kindness to others.  Altruism knows no age. 

Source: Inspire More