A kind young man is making sure his homeless neighbors have all of the daily essentials they need.
Ethan Hill is a young man from Birmingham, Alabama, and he’s been helping the homeless since he was six years old, after he saw a homeless person living under a bridge. His walk to school went past this bridge, and it bothered him seeing a grown man suffering, sleeping out in the cold. That year Ethan used his $100 Christmas money to buy food, snacks, water, tarps and toiletries to give to that homeless man he walked past each day under the bridge.
“Every day I was passing by this homeless gentleman on my way to school, and he lived right under the freeway. It didn’t sit right with me, so that year I used my $100 Christmas money and I bought supplies for him and others with him at the time,” Ethan said.
“He was really happy, but, he was humble. He was like, I don’t need this stuff right here, you can take it, and he led us in the direction of other homeless people who were in need.”
“He was so kind,” Ethan said of the homeless man, Mr. Marcus, as he looked past his own needs in order to help those around him.
Ever since that experience, Ethan has been motivated to do what he can to help the homeless. Ethan created a non-profit called Ethan’s Heart Bags 4 Blessings, which provides care packages and daily essentials for the homeless. In the past seven years, he has given out more than 5000 Ethan’s Heart packages.
“Ethan’s Heart has evolved into an organization that goes above and beyond to support those experiencing homelessness. Our dedicated team provides emergency food, drinks, clothing, sleeping bags, first aid supplies, and hygiene products, addressing the immediate needs of individuals while fostering trust and building rapport. Through these meaningful interactions, Ethan’s Heart strives to identify veterans, individuals with mental health challenges, and those at risk of or experiencing abuse, connecting them with relevant service referrals,” ethansheartbham.org explains.
Ethan even built a mobile trailer that attaches to a truck and can be driven around town to help the homeless. Inside of the trailer are multiple shelves stocked with food, sleeping bags, toiletries and various donations for the homeless from kind hearts in his community.
Ethan says his work has led him to build meaningful relationships with, and also to gain wisdom from, many of the homeless in his community.
“They can give you those little nuggets of life that nobody ever told you,” he said.
“It just takes that one time of you going out there and making a difference for someone’s life, you are always gonna want to come back to it.”
If inspired, you can support Ethan’s beautiful work at his non-profit’s website here: ethansheartbham.org
You are Loved.
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