To many, there isn’t a lot that a 9-year old girl can do. But Hailey Fort is not your typical girl. She has been helping homeless people since she was five years old.
It started when she saw a homeless person for the first time. She asked her mother if she could help the homeless person and her mom nodded, yes. This sparked the revolution to provide shelter and food to the many homeless people in her city.
The homeless person she met was Billy Ray, a veteran who lost a leg during the war. Since he could not support himself, he was left homeless. Hailey met the veteran when he was on the streets and had not eaten for four days.
But since their family was not well off, her mother said to her, “My dear, we are not such a rich family and can’t help everyone.” This made Hailey cry because she was worried about Billy, whom by now has become her good friend.
This made Hailey think of ways that she could do it. Then, the idea sprouted on her. She said, “If I can’t afford food, then I’ll grow my own fruit and vegetables for them!” Her parents supported the decision and that’s when Hailey’s project started.
Hailey has never planted seeds nor cultivated any plants before. But she was persistent and was eager to learn the knowledge of farming. After finishing her schoolwork, she would proceed to teach herself how to plant and harvest from a professional planting book.
Hailey proceeded to plant the seeds with the help of her grandfather. She carefully did due diligence to make the vegetables grow. She watered, cultivated, and took good care of the plants for a whole month. She also put a fence around it to protect it from animals.
After all the hard work, Hailey had a harvest: half a bag of carrots, potatoes, soybeans. She was very excited and gave it to her homeless friend. The harvest wasn’t that good but it inspired her to do more. Then after a few months, not only did the harvest grow, neighbors started to help out in the project because they were very inspired by the acts of the little girl.
Aside from starting a garden, Hailey also had the idea of building shelters for the homeless. “It just doesn’t seem right that there are homeless people,” Hailey said, “I think everyone should have a place to live.” The houses have windows and insulation to keep the occupants warm in the winter. Hailey stated that she wanted to construct another ten to assist other homeless people in the area.
The walls of the houses are made of repurposed pallets that are insulated with denim. Aside from vinyl flooring, a shingled roof, and drywall, there are a few finishing touches such as a front door lock, a solar-powered lamp, and curtains.
Hailey had already collected hundreds of pounds of food for the homeless, but she wanted to do more. She also bought PO boxes to help homeless people apply for jobs and donated feminine hygiene products and coats to those who needed them.
Jesus taught us that we should give to those who cannot repay us back. This way, we will receive a reward not from men, but from God. The acts of this young girl should inspire us to do something for those who cannot help themselves. When God puts us in a position and the ability to help others, He is also preparing us for a great blessing from Heaven.
Luke 14:12-14
Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”