Ethan Reynolds of Columbus, Indiana, has always been a helper.
The 11-year-old loves to volunteer at a local nursing home and an animal shelter, so he knows how good it feels to give selflessly to his community. So instead of asking for toys or video games last Christmas, he asked for lawn mowing equipment so he could start his own business!
When the COVID-19 pandemic began, he noticed more people holding cardboard signs asking for food in his area. He immediately resolved to find a way to help.
He started by taking his own $10 and buying as many nonperishable food and hygiene items as he could. Then he put everything on a table in his family’s front lawn with a sign saying, “Free food.”
“He’s been doing this kind of stuff for a long time now,”said Jessica Reynolds, his mom. “When we would have garage sales, he (at age 7) would go to his room and get his candy and all of his little toys. And he would put them in boxes and offer them to other kids for free.â€
When their neighbors spotted Ethan’s table, they felt compelled to help out as well! They started adding their own donations of protein bars, water bottles, canned fruit and meat, and toiletries.
Even better, a local news station did a story about Ethan, and soon, strangers were coming from all over to make donations of cash and goods!
As Ethan’s Table got larger, the innovative fifth-grader started up his lawn care service to bring in some extra money for himself and his new charity. Of course, his neighbors were more than happy to hire him to mow their lawns!
They all noticed how Ethan instinctively paid particular attention to the home of an elderly resident who lives alone, checking in on him to make sure he was doing OK during isolation.
There was just one problem: Ethan’s old equipment wasn’t quite up to snuff. His mower kept breaking down in the middle of jobs, so his community got together and decided to surprise him with a brand new push mower! When Ethan came home and saw it sitting in his driveway, he literally fell over with excitement!
After he recovered from his shock, he declared the red mower to be “rad” before giving it a few test pushes and admiring the filter inside.
We’ve never seen someone this young get so excited over lawn equipment, but Ethan is no ordinary child. What a great kid!
We’re so glad his neighbors showed their appreciation for his hard work! A generous spirit like his should be rewarded, and we know he’s going to put that mower to good use.
Watch his adorable reaction to his gift in the video below, and be sure to share this story with your friends.
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