11-Year-Old a ‘Hometown Hero’

Eleven-year-old Jacob of Hillsdale has been selected as our second Hometown Hero! Jacob launched a charity organization, Jacob's Charity Project, to raise money to help those who are less fortunate during the holiday season.

As part of the “Hometown Heroes” series, we've partnered with County Waste and Latham Ford to celebrate local unsung heroes for their good deeds and honorable work.

We asked Jacob a few questions about his work. Here’s what he had to say:

Q: What inspired you to launch your project?

A: Knowing that there were people who didn't have much money, and couldn't buy presents for their kids. I wanted to help, somehow, to make Christmas possible for these families, so the children had presents for Christmas.

Q: What's the most rewarding thing about what you do? 

A: The most rewarding thing about what I do is the fact that I know that I'm helping families in need.  And knowing that kids are happy because they were able to wake up to Christmas presents. This year, I will be able to go into the "store" that the Edith Casey Stocking Fund puts together for families to come pick out presents for their children, and donate my time there as well. I think it will be very rewarding to see, in-person, just how many people need help, and knowing that I'm doing this for a good reason!

Q: What are some challenges?

A: Some challenges would be getting the word out there, finding people to help support the cause. Last year, when I said I had wanted to do this, and my mom figured out a way to help me make it happen. We raised $180 in about three weeks before Christmas. This year, we started much earlier in order to give people time, and hope to raise more, but it has been very slow so far with only three donations to date.

Q: Do you consider yourself a "hero?" Why or why not?

A: Kinda, because I know I am helping out the families and children who want Christmas to happen. My mom has always tried to raise me and teach me to "pay it forward" without expecting anything in return. I hope by doing this, some of these families will remember this when someone else is in need of something.

Check out Jacob's Charity Project on Facebook and learn how to help. To nominate our next "Hometown Hero," click here.