Orion Jean's Fort Worth house is filled with brown paper bags. "This is 'Race to 100,000 Meals'," Jean said surrounded by bags. "Five bags help, 20 bags help, One bag helps!"
Jean is collecting snack bags in a partnership he forged with Tango Tab. His goal is to get 100,000 donated meals by Thanksgiving. Each bag had a hand-written message of kindness.
"I want them to know they are loved," Jean said.
"This disease impacts so many people," Jean said of COVID-19. "Many people have lost their jobs and are being put out on the streets... and these are people that look like me that don't have the resources and don't have these privileges, and I know I can help."
Jean started 'Race to Kindness' to help others. So far, he's collected toys for children in the hospital, and now snack bag meals. Jean just celebrated his 10th birthday, but he speaks with wisdom far beyond his years. He believes everyone can do something.
"It all comes from a kind thought in your head, and a kind feeling in your heart," Jean said. "And if you're only thinking about me, me, me; and what about this, what about that; I can't do this, I have to do that; then it's never going to happen."
"Kindness is contagious," Jean's mother Kherri said. "In a good way."
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Kherri Jean said she and her husband try to model kindness for their son, but that he takes it to another level.
"Any time that we've decided there's something we want to do, he always says 'can we do it bigger, Mommy? Can we impact more people? Can we help more?'," Kherri Jean said.
Orion Jean hopes his efforts inspire others to do the same. "Because we can't do this by ourselves, and we don't want to," Jean laughed. "It's something anyone can do."
Jean is holding a collection drive on Saturday, October 24 from 10:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m.at the Chisholm Ridge Amenity Center, 1005 Lindstrom Drive, Fort Worth.
You can follow Orion Jean on Instagram.
