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Sometimes when we’re going about our daily routines, we forget to stop and think about others. We get caught up with our to-do lists, tasks, and responsibilities, which is why reminders about helping others and stopping for someone in need are so important. And sometimes, as this story proves, those reminders come from unexpected places.
In July 2016, a woman named Kenyatta Lewis and her six-year-old daughter, Janiyah, were exiting a store in Virginia when they walked by a homeless man who was crying. Because kids are inherently curious, Janiyah asked her mother about the guy.
“Did you see that man crying?” Janiyah asked her mom, according to a Facebook post. “What’s wrong with him?”
While her mom was ready to brush off the situation and mused the man was “just sad,” Janiyah figured he might be “hot and thirsty.” So she walked over to him and told him to be happy because it was a nice day. She also asked why he didn’t go home, since the ground was so dirty.
“We had a small conversation, and he explained his trailer burnt down, and he lost everything, including his wife,” Lewis wrote. “I felt for him.”
Janiyah felt for the man too. She realized his situation meant he was homeless and had no refrigerator or food. So she gave him her drink and a few dollars from her purse and asked him to please go eat. “I like McDonald's; you should go there,” she told him.
“It was clear she made his day because his whole face lit up when she took out money. He even commented on how surprised he was to see all of this coming from a six-year-old,” Lewis later told Today.
“I could tell she made his day,” Lewis added in the original Facebook post. “On top of that, two more people came up and gave money as well… it just warms my heart. A six-year-old [leading] by example this morning.”
According to Lewis, her daughter has always had a soft spot for those in need. It wasn’t uncommon for Janiyah to ask her mom to roll down the window and give a few dollars whenever she saw someone asking for money at a stoplight, for example.
But after meeting this man in particular, Janiyah wanted to do more. So she and her mom started a GoFundMe campaign to help raise money to feed and clothe the homeless in the area. In addition to raising money, they began collecting food and clothing from neighbors with the goal of distributing the items to those in need.
“Kids see no color, and that's exactly how it should be,” the proud mom wrote on Facebook. “It's not just a statement saying that the children are our future, it's a FACT. That gives me a little more hope for the world.”
Janiyah’s big heart inspired not only her mother but several strangers in the area at the time and countless others online afterward. It just shows you how one small act can have a snowball effect and inspire so many other people to donate their time, money, and effort.
It’s also a heartwarming reminder that it doesn’t take a monumental act to inspire change. Sometimes it’s the small things that make the biggest difference. Janiyah proved that when she took the time to stop and speak to a stranger in need, even though so many others were quick to walk past him.
And while spending time volunteering, donating food and clothing, or tacking on a few dollars for a donation at the checkout are simple ways to give back, taking time to check in and communicate with someone in need is also a simple and easy thing we can all do in our daily lives.
Plus, who knows: it may also inspire us to be better human beings.
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