Growing up in Birmingham, Ethan Hill (11 | Birmingham, Alabama) is very familiar with the issues of hunger and homelessness. On any given night, close to 325 individuals who are homeless can be found on the city’s streets, making beds in doorways, under bridges, and in parks. This number doesn’t include the additional hundreds who reside in area shelters. After meeting and befriending some of his neighbors who were unhoused, Ethan began collecting donations to provide these neighbors with much-needed items. To educate other youth about the challenges facing those experiencing homelessness while giving them an opportunity to support a vulnerable group of community members, Ethan organized the “Homeless Survival Care Packages” project this past spring.

With the support of a Hershey Heartwarming Young Hero grant and with his nonprofit, Ethan’s Heart, serving as a platform, Ethan and a team of mostly elementary-aged volunteers, got to work. Students solicited donations of some of the most often needed items including water bottles, soap and shampoo, tissues, snacks, and face masks. They also created posters to raise awareness about homelessness in Birmingham and to advise those in need about services in the community. By the end of the project, 180 kits were made and distributed.

While students were helping others, they were given the opportunity to discuss homelessness in Birmingham—what their experiences were, what challenges they saw, and how they could work toward short and long-term solutions. They also spoke about the importance of and need for youth service, and how to help others without bias and judgment. Ethan hopes that this packing event will inspire youth to continue to make a difference and he is already heard at work on preparing for his next packing events!