Generous 7-Year-Old Hits Streets And Helps Homeless People 'To Make Them Feel Wanted'

Generous 7-Year-Old Hits Streets And Helps Homeless People 'To Make Them Feel Wanted'

Generosity knows no age restrictions.

And Caiden Perez of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, proves that a 7-year-old boy can enjoy helping strangers in need as much as he loves his superhero action figures. Caiden first approached his father, Manny, with the idea of throwing a pizza party for the homeless people in his community -- "because it makes them happy" -- but the pair decided to make "blessing bags" for people on the streets instead, reported USA Today. Caiden filled the plastic bags with necessities like clean pairs of socks, shampoo, toothpaste and bottles of water -- excited to give the items away.

Caiden and his dad documented their first outing of hand-delivering the bags, and Caiden spoke to a few of the locals as he passed out the items. The 7-year-old good Samaritan is eager to do it again soon.

"He has wanted to help the homeless for a little bit now," Manny Perez told USA Today. "Not just as a need to fulfill, but to make them feel wanted."

In 2013, there were approximately 12,000 homeless people living in North Carolina, according to a study conducted by the National Alliance to End Homelessness. And a 2013 count conducted by the United Way of Forsyth County -- where Winston-Salem is located -- accounted for 407 of them.

A nice gesture for homeless people not only helps them out in small ways -- it may also help a marginalized group feel more visible.

And Caiden isn't the only young do-gooder out there.

Robby Elmers, a 12-year-old boy from Detroit, Michigan, also takes time out of his week to help out those in need. After visiting a shelter for the first time to drop off clothes with his grandmother in 2008, Robby knew he wanted to do something that made a difference for the people he saw struggling. Now every weekend, he visits the Tumaini Center in Detroit, and sets up a table of free food for people in need of a good meal. He even uses his birthday and Christmas money to fund the project, along with donations from his grandmother.

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