The Nine Year Old Girl Who is Building Homes For The Homeless
Nine year old Hailey Fort from King Fort, Washington has been working hard to help bring some comfort to the homeless for the past four years. It all started when she spotted a homeless man on the street when she was five years old and after asking her parents what she could do to help him and others in his position, she has been providing food and support ever since.
At just six years old Hailey started a garden for the local homeless community in her area and her goals for 2015 include growing 250 pounds of food, handing out 1000 toiletries, 500 female hygiene producs and 100 winter coats.
Hailey’s latest project was inspired by her friend Edward who recently lost his job at their local supermarket. Concerned that Edward wouldn’t have a dry and safe place to sleep, Hailey has embarked on the ambitious project of building mobile homeless shelters to provide a warm place for Edward and other homeless people to rest in – she explains “I don’t really want him to be rained on by all the bad weather we get here… he’s really nice… he’s easy to talk to.”
Hailey builds these mobile homes almost completely by herself under the supervision of her Mum. Her Mother contacted their city council before Hailey started her project to ensure the shelters wouldn’t cause any problems. Hailey can also turn to her Grandfather who is a carpenter for advice about building.
The mobile homes Hailey has built are fully insulated to ensure their occupants stay warm during cold nights and also have windows which can be opened to allow some fresh air during the night.
Along with these projects, Hailey is also donating 10 P.O Boxes which will be paid for one year to give the homeless a place to have their mail sent to while they are getting back on their feet and applying for work.
Lauren Matheson
Lauren founded her website Create Bake Make as a way to justify the ridiculous amount of baking she loves to do. She has a super sweet tooth and enjoying a slice of cake (or two) is one of her guilty indulgences. As a Mum of two little boys, when she isn't creating fun activities for the kids or breaking up arguments over toy trucks and cars, you will find her in the kitchen baking up a storm - or hiding in the pantry with the latest cooking magazine and a hot cup of coffee!
