13 Yr Old Boy Donates Hand Warmers To Homeless

A recent windstorm hit (2015) Spokane, Washington, and it changed the lives of Jen Fiorino and her twin grandsons forever.

After the storm, Jen and her grandson returned some books to the library when they found several families camping inside the library to stay warm.

Homelessness affects us all differently, and for Tyler seeing people so similar to himself suffering without a homemade him jump into action. This new experience

“On Division (Street), we’d see all these people sleeping on the side of the street or under a bridge,” Said Tyler, a seventh-grader at PRIDE Prep Public Charter School in Spokane.

Tyler remembered that he had some extra hand warmers from his camping trips with the Boy Scouts earlier that year. He hit the streets and offered the Zippo hand warmer to anyone he could find. When Tyler finished handing out all of the hand warmers, he went home, collected up his allowance, and bought more, including stocking caps and gloves.

It’s been two years since that November windstorm, and Tyler is still going strong. He still remembers to feel apprehensive approaching strangers on the street.

“I did not know what would happen, but then I knew that I didn’t need to be afraid because these people aren’t violent,” Tyler said.

Tyler said he has never had an adverse reaction from a homeless person he has attempted to help.

So far, to date, the best reaction Tyler had received from helping others was when he stopped to assist two women living under the town bridge. He says he was on his way to school when “We saw this lady, she was pushing a wheelchair with another old woman in it. We pulled over and asked if they would like some gloves and some hats, and they actually started crying because they were so happy,” Tyler said. “It made me feel so good.”

For his good deeds, Tyler was encouraged by his Grandma to apply for the Prudential Spirit of Community Award, a $1000 award. About three months after using, Tyler got an envelope in the mail and would you believe he won!

I get this letter in an envelope, and I open it, and I read it. It mentions a thousand dollars I am super happy about that. It is going to my college fund, but then I read about getting a medal and going to Washington, D.C., and I got super excited.

Tyler and his grandmother were given an all-expenses-paid, four-day trip for the awards ceremony. Olympic gold medalist swimmer Michael Phelps was the guest speaker, honoring more than a hundred kids, mostly from the United States, for their volunteer work.

Tyler’s grandmother described the event as a ‘very intense four days’ and a fantastic experience for her grandson and the other children present. She noticed her grandson realize that everybody here is like me.

She said he met many kids who wanted to get out and do it—is making a difference in society and enacting change now.

At the event, Tyler befriended a girl from Ireland who produces sleeping bags with padded bottoms. He is trying to negotiate with her to incorporate these sleeping bags into his volunteering in Spokane.

Tyler’s twin brother, Dylan, also has a heart for service. Dylan recently led a partnership between the Guild School and PRIDE Prep. Additionally, their Boy Scout troop toured Shriners Hospital for Children in Spokane for the Disability Awareness Badge.

The tour-inspired Tyler and his brother Dylan to help children –

“We want to make a proposal to Shriners and see if we can volunteer there,” he said, “We want to keep expanding and helping more and more people.”