Ethan helps the homeless
Few 11 year-olds would think too much about the difficulties homeless people face.
But grade five Trafalgar primary school student Ethan Hornsby does.
And his thoughts are not just whether they have a roof over their heads but also if they have something to eat.
Inspired by his membership of the cubs section of the Trafalgar Scout Group where his is a “sixer”, a leader of a section, and what he needed to do to get a “Grey Wolf” badge, the highest award in the cubs, Ethan decided that rounding up some food to be given to the homeless would well meet the last task he needed to get the award – “helping others”.
That thought led to him approaching the Trafalgar IGA supermarket to ask if he could set up a stand at its shopfront on a Saturday morning to take up a collection.
Not only did the supermarket say yes but started off his appeal by donating a box of nonperishable food products.
After a couple of hours generous shoppers had given him $100 cash to buy food plus filled two shopping trolleys.
Last Thursday Ethan dropped into Quantum Support Services at Warragul that assists those that are homeless, among many other needy people, to hand over his collection of foodstuffs for it to distribute. Staff at Quantum were delighted. So much so that Quantum’s Lindsay Jarvis presented him with a certificate of appreciation and a surprise that lit up his face – a “hoodie” that promotes Homeless Week in Gippsland.
The one he was wearing was quickly and proudly jettisoned and replaced by his new one.
Mr Jarvis said Ethan’s help for the homeless had already spread widely on social media and had inspired many people.
He said over the past 12 months Quantum in Gippsland had supported 3000 people that were homeless.