Ethan D. Hill of Birmingham, Alabama, is one of those people who seems to have been born with wisdom beyond his years.
He’s only 10 years old, but he has already done more to help people who are homeless than many of us ever will. For the past four years, he’s spearheaded a program called “Bags4Blessings,” which gets much-needed supplies to anyone living on the streets.
Ethan founded his organization, “Ethan’s Heart,” after meeting a local homeless man while he was walking to school one day. They began chatting and quickly struck up a friendship.
“His name is Mr. Marcus,” Ethan said. “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.”
When Ethan’s searches didn’t turn up the resources he was looking for, he decided to be the help instead.
Ever since that chance encounter, Ethan has focused all his free time on putting together care packages and delivering them to his local homeless community.
Ethan’s Heart collects monetary donations along with everyday essentials ranging from toilet paper to dental floss. He also routinely hands out warm clothing and sleeping bags during the cold winter months.
Perhaps the most impressive part of his philanthropic work is that he doesn’t do any of it for praise or recognition. He simply wants to help – and to encourage others to get involved!
“It feels like it’s not all about you, it’s not a you story,” he explained. “Like they say, ‘Walk a mile in somebody else’s shoes.’ You gotta do that and see what they’re going through, their perspective.”
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Ethan shifted from providing camping and hygiene supplies to getting PPE into the homeless camps.
“They still need to be protected from the virus,” he said. “They need masks and gloves and hand sanitizers.”
When it comes to helping others, Ethan said there’s so much we can do that doesn’t even involve money. He hopes his kindness will inspire others to find a way to make a positive impact in their own communities!
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