Eleven-Year-Old Ohio Boy Launches Donation Drive for Families in Need

A Young Hero’s Impact on His Community

Eleven-year-old Micah Suttle is a shining example of how even the youngest members of society can make a significant difference. Recently, he organized a donation drive with his entire fifth-grade class to support families who are transitioning out of homelessness. This act of kindness not only highlights his compassion but also shows the power of youth when they are inspired to take action.

Suttle expressed his feelings about the experience, saying, “I think it was really cool that I got to get people involved with community service and hope they keep doing it.” His motivation came from Seeds of Caring, a nonprofit organization based in Columbus that empowers children to give back and create meaningful change in their communities. Suttle and his siblings have been involved with the group for years, learning the importance of helping others.

Stephanie Christie, the director of development at Seeds of Caring, shared her thoughts on the impact of such initiatives. “One of the things that I have seen firsthand at Seeds of Caring is that we really underestimate kids and what they are capable of,” she said. She emphasized that with some compassion and education, children can make a real difference.

Seeds of Caring teaches students like Suttle about the causes of social issues and encourages them to use their hearts, hands, and minds for good. Suttle has embraced this philosophy wholeheartedly. “You don’t always have to look at the good side,” he said. “You have to look at the bad things that we need to fix in this earth. And I think it’s really nice to try to do everything I can to help those bad things.”

With this mindset, Suttle rallied his entire fifth-grade class to collect over a hundred essential items for families transitioning out of homelessness. Beth Fetzer-Rice, president and CEO of Home for Families, praised his efforts. “It just warms my heart because he is connecting the dots and putting his feelings into action. Which is really what we hope all kids do and all people do.”

The students collected a variety of items, including household supplies and toiletries. They also made handwritten cards of encouragement for the families receiving the donations. These items were then given to Home for Families, an organization that partners with families and youth to resolve housing crises, strengthen financial stability, and bridge education gaps to prevent future homelessness. According to leaders, the donations come at a critical time.

“It’s incredibly important,” Fetzer-Rice said. “It’s expensive, and it’s not necessarily something that’s covered by grants. So, it fills a huge piece of our budget, but we need it because families don’t just need four walls, right? They need the things that go in the house to make it home.”

Suttle hopes to inspire his peers to participate in community service. Christie added, “Micah is a great example of why Seeds of Caring exist. We know that kids are innately helpers. They want to help and they want to give back. And Seeds of Caring is able to give them an outlet to do that in a way that they can understand what they’re doing.”

Suttle’s work isn’t done yet. He plans to start a community service club in middle school. “Kindness is always the answer, and you should just keep trying no matter what,” he said.

Home for Families has already begun distributing the supplies to help families get back on their feet. For more information about the organization, visit their website. To learn more about the work Seeds of Caring does, visit their website as well.