When Hurricane Ida struck, fifth grader Kinley Fox knew she couldn’t do everything, but she was compelled to do something.
“I was watching the news, seeing everybody flooded,” said Kinley. “I wanted to help in the best way possible.”
Gripped by the images on her local TV news station, Kinley was determined to help with the basics. The devastation in Louisiana was insurmountable after Hurricane Ida wiped out countless homes.
“They didn’t have anything! No clothes, no water, no toothbrushes, no toothpaste,” Kinley said. She was determined to change that.
The Category 4 hurricane left millions without electricity for several weeks and flooded homes in its wake. The essentials were hard to come by.
“I would say, just ask for help and find the right person to help you,” she said.
For Kinley, it was her mom and her principal. The ten-year-old enlisted them to help with a supply drive. Then, to Kinley’s surprise, her entire school followed suit — all wanting to help out.
“We got way more kids than I thought!” Kinley said. “Pretty much everyone helped out and brought something.”
The donations poured in, then Kinley and her friends turned them into hygiene kits. Toothpaste, toothbrushes, hair brushes, shampoo, and soap were all gathered in plastic bags — ready to send to those in need. Kinley called Convoy of Hope after hearing about the organization on her favorite radio station: K-LOVE.
“My mom did a lot to help me call. She helped make signs and get boxes, and helped me get the stuff to Convoy.”
Kinley’s kindness is bringing hope to people in Louisiana, and is showing her classmates that everyone can do something.
“You can do it!” she said.
