Hailey Fort was five years old when she saw a man sitting alone on a street in Washington. She asked her mom if they could help him. Her mom said yes.
The man’s name was Edward. He had lost his job at a supermarket and was living on the street. That day, Hailey brought him a sandwich. She did not know that gesture would shape the next four years of her life.
She began growing fruits and vegetables in her home garden. She distributed them at her community food bank. In one year, she donated nearly 58 kilos of food she had grown herself.
But feeding people was not enough for Hailey. She wanted Edward to have a roof over his head. With help from her parents, her grandfather (a contractor in Arizona), and a donation of 3.000 dollars, she began building mobile tiny houses with recycled materials: denim insulation, vinyl flooring, windows, a locking door, and a solar lamp.
The first one was for Edward.
“I don’t think it’s fair that there are homeless people”, Hailey said. “I think everyone deserves a place to live”.
She was nine years old when she said it. And she was already doing it.
