Homeless-Helping Teen Makes It Look Easy

By Shannon in News on Dec 17, 2006 9:00PM

You know what we really want this holiday season? More feel-good stories. We swear, they're the only things that get us through the day. To that end, we bring you the story of young Edward Daniels, who has quite a lofty goal set for Christmases to come.

When Edward was 9, he asked for a signed Michael Vick football from his mom for Christmas. Considering said football cost $500, she said no way (we'd like to think she laughed at him). But when her son claimed he "deserved" it, she aimed to teach him a lesson he wouldn't ever forget. Right then and there, she drove Edward to Pacific Garden Mission, a homeless shelter in the south Loop, to dole out supper. Initially scared by the inhabitants, Edward soon realized they were people just like him, only with less stuff. He then resolved to help the homeless out in any way he could, and his way was donating blankets. If a kid has the gall to demand a $500 football at Christmastime, that kid has the same cojones to ask his church to donate to his cause, and that's exactly what he did.

Those first donations snowballed into a phenomenon that Edward has made bigger and better each year. Now 15, he collects not only blankets for the homeless, but coats, hats and gloves. His whole family helps him gather provisions and store them in their North Lawndale home. To reach his goal of serving 300,000 homeless people by the time he's 19, he's starting a non-profit organization, Brothers for Life, with the help of his mother. As for what he wants to do for a career, he might follow in his dad's footsteps and become a cop, or a doctor or lawyer. We hope he never loses his charitable nature, no matter what he does.

Image via Just My Cup of Tea.