Homeless people walk among us every day yet go unseen sometimes by the scores of passersby consumed in their own daily luxuries.
But the sight of a homeless camp in Chicago brought one young boy to tears – not because he was afraid of them, but because he simply wanted to give money to help.
READ: #WeSeeYou: Chef Donates Half Of Food Network Winnings To Feed Chicago’s Hungry
Though only 5 at the time, Jahkil Naeem Jackson understood that the homeless didn’t have the same basic necessities that his parents gave him.
One day, while feeding the homeless with his aunt under a viaduct, Jahkil found his life’s purpose.
“It just made me feel sad, sad to see other people on the street just lying down and not having a home or a bed,” the now 8-year-old said. “Homeless people need to have more people helping them.”
Jahkil, with the help of his family, set a goal in February to pass out 1,000 “Blessing Bags” to the homeless before the end of summer.
By the beginning of August, Jahkil had passed out 735 bags filled with toothbrushes, toothpaste, socks, combs, shampoo, water, sanitary napkins, towels and other items donated to him by others in the community and organizations such as Heartland Alliance.