“It Makes Me Sad Some People Don’t Get to Eat.” Seven-Year-Old Boy Donates His Savings to World Food Program USA
Throughout the year, 7-year-old Tommy Joy saves part of his allowance to give away. He can give it however and wherever he wants – a dollar here and a dollar there to whatever organization he’d like to.
But this year, he chose to give all of his savings to help hungry people.
“In the newspaper, I saw a picture of airplanes dropping food to people in South Sudan, and people dragging the food back to their homes,” Tommy, who lives in Massachusetts, said. “My dad said it was for people who didn’t have enough to eat. It makes me sad that some people don’t get to eat, so I wanted to help.”
Women collecting bags of food from an air drop in South Sudan.
Tommy’s dad, Paul, explained that the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) helps feed people across the globe who were hungry – and right away, Tommy asked him to donate the $35 he had to World Food Program USA (WFP).
“I asked him how much he wanted to give,” Paul said, “and he told me to just take it all.”
“I’m proud of Tommy for choosing to give his money to help people so far away that he’ll never even meet,” continued Paul. “We try to instill in our kids an understanding of how fortunate we are, and because of that – especially now, when there’s a huge need – it’s important to give back to people who don’t have the opportunities that we do.”
Tommy is happy he was able to give back and thinks other people should too. “It’s pretty easy to give,” Tommy said, “and it feels nice when you know other kids can now eat because of it.”
