April 18, 2018 – Kaylee Halfhill, a third grader at Westview Elementary, has deep sympathy for the homeless, and a need to help. Those two factions of her heart led her to create what she calls “homeless bags” — kits she has pulled together with care and thought.
It happened when she and her mother were coming home from a car dealership one night. It was dark, and Kaylee saw someone in need on the side of the road. She and her mother often buy food for homeless people, but that evening, they were lost, and it was too late for them to purchase him food and water.
“Kaylee was devastated,” mom Kim Halfhill said.
When they went home, they donated to the Good Samaritan Center with the homeless man in their thoughts, and Kylee, whose mom describes as “action-oriented,” got the idea to make kits for the homeless — portable bags that could be handed out quickly to those in need.
“There are different things in different bags,” Kaylee explained, opening one. “There’s a toothbrush, and a lot of food, and a spoon and a fork, some warm socks, some cough drops in case they have a sore throat, tissues, and some Tylenol.”
Kaylee’s bags focus on hunger, health, and hygiene, with hand sanitizer, and other items that someone in need could utilize, such as handy wipes and chap stick.
“And,” she added, pointing to some sweets, “some candy to make them happy.”
Kaylee has put a lot of thought into the items she places in her bags. Pinterest has been a great tool, Kim’s mom added. The bags are kept in both her parents’ vehicles.
“We keep them in Dad’s car and Mom’s car, so whenever we go somewhere, if we see someone, we can give them a bag,” Kaylee explained. “We don’t give them to people who we think are homeless, because they may not want a bag. We usually give them to people who have signs or are asking for help.”
Kaylee received help from her teachers at Westview, and her friends, who threw themselves behind the idea of making homeless kits. Her teachers and others collected toiletries from hotels and brought in other items for Kaylee to include.
Her parents are proud of the young person their daughter is becoming.
“She’s passionate about social justice on many fronts, and it’s been fun to see how she grows,” Kim said. “She’s a pretty amazing kiddo, and sometimes we’re not sure how we got so lucky. She often thinks of others.”
“She’s something else. She teaches us sometimes,” dad Patrick Halfhill said. “We get too caught up. It can be a little scary, though, going down the road and she yells, ‘Dad, stop!’ She’s got a big heart.”
Kaylee enjoys her mission, though, and hopes others may be inspired to do something similar.
“It makes me feel really happy, and I know I did a really good job, because I know I made a difference,” Kaylee said.
When asked what she would say to another kid who would like to make a difference, her answer was succinct, but wise.
“Anything counts.”