A 10-year-old boy from Birmingham, AL is on a mission to help ease the suffering of the homeless in his hometown. In 2014, Ethan Hill, then 6, had his heart strings tugged on hard after encountering a homeless man while walking to school four years ago. He saw the man every day for the entire school year, and so he and his mom stopped to chat with him one day and learned he had lived under the freeway for over 30 years.

“His name is Mr. Marcus,” Ethan said. “He’s a very nice man. He lives under the bridge. (It’s) starting to get cold, so I was asking and googling and seeing if there’s anything I can do to help them and see what clothing is needed and what they need to survive.”

Ethan’s sweet heart was so burdened for Mr. Marcus, he asked his parents if he could spend his Christmas money on items that the homeless man might need. The relationship with Mr. Marcus made a huge impact on Ethan, and with his moms help, he went on to establish ‘Ethan’s Heart,’ an organization that collects and distributes necessities to the homeless who are living on the streets.

His care kits are filled with essentials such as nonperishable snacks, hygiene items, and a sleeping bag. Ethan told local news station WAFF 48 that he tries to put himself in the shoes of the person he’s filling the bag for, and thinks of things they would need or want.

“They still need something to wipe with. They still need something to blow their nose on,” says Ethan. “So why not put it in there. We thought about things that normal people may need in the winter time. And we just gave them ponchos, blankets and emergency blankets and stuff.”

The coronavirus pandemic of the past year has increased the needs of the homeless, and Ethan plans on continuing to do what he can while supplies last. Ethan’s Heart is in it’s fourth year of filling and distributing it’s ‘Bags 4 Blessings,’ as the family calls them.

“It feels like it’s not all about you, it’s not a you story,” Ethan said. “Like they say, ‘Walk a mile in somebody else’s shoes,’ you gotta do that and see what they’re going through, their perspective.”

For more pictures and to follow on with Ethan’s philanthropic mission, follow this link to a Facebook page for Ethan’s Heart