Most kids spend their days at the playground, playing video games, hanging out with friends, or eating ice cream, but not Hailey Ford. Hailey is no ordinary nine year old. Hailey is a hero we should all aspire to be, conquering homelessness in her hometown Bremerton, Washington. Ford dedicates her free time building small homes to distribute to homeless people in her community.
The homes are an 8×4-foot wooden structure, with windows, a front door, and insulation. Each home costs about $300 build. A local hardware store supported her efforts by giving her a 50% discount in materials.
“When we walked up he was so happy it looked like he was happy crying. We talked about gardening and how horse manure is the best fertilizer. He kept telling me as we walked away to be safe,” she wrote on her Facebook page.
Her efforts began a few years ago at just six years old, when she befriended Edward, a homeless man on the street. He had lost his job at a grocery store and Hailey refused to be a bystander. She and her mother bought him a sandwich. From there, Hailey decided she wanted to feed every hungry person in her hometown with a garden. Her garden grew to be a success as she donated 128 pounds last year to a local food bank, according to KING 5 News.
This was just the beginning for Hailey. After receiving a $3,000 grant from Together Rising and Momastery.com, Hailey plans to make 11 small homes for the town’s permanent Tent City, which is expected to open later this year, KING 5 News reported. The first home she builds, she is giving to her friend Edward.
This nine year old rockstar does majority of the work all by herself, with the supervision of her mother and contractor grandfather who gives his help through phone from his home in Arizona. “It just doesn’t seem right that there are homeless people,” Hailey said. “I think everyone should have a place to live.”
She hopes to grow 250 pounds of food, along with handing out 1,000 toiletries, 500 feminine hygiene products, 100 coats, and as many sleeping shelters as she can find space for.
Change is possible, no matter how old you are. Hailey is not ending world hunger, but that does not mean her efforts aren’t substantial. She is making a difference in her community with her outpouring compassion and dedication to the homeless. Because of her, there are less hungry people in the world. Because of her, 11 people can have homes.
You can support Hailey and her efforts by donating on her GoFund Me page and her Amazon registry. You can also see her progress through her Facebook page, Hailey’s Harvest.
