One 10-year-old from Texas is on a mission to share his love of reading to other children and he has big goals.
Orion Jean, a Fort Worth native, started Race to Kindness, an organization that seeks to give back and do good, after winning a student kindness competition last year.
“I want to be able to share my love of literacy with as many people as possible,” Jean told CBS News. Jean has a goal of getting 500,000 books donated by the end of the month.
“Kindness is a virtue we can all possess. If we are willing to,” Jean said. “So why not start today. Because right now, it’s what we need more than ever.”
Jean told the outlet that winning last year’s competition “was really just the catalyst to something bigger. It started out as an idea but here we are today, the race to kindness was born.”
Jean used his $500 winnings from the contest to donate toys to a children’s hospital in Dallas. From there, he started organizing food drives, and got 100,000 meals to Texas families by coordinating with a relief group.
He says his new mission –– getting books to kids who may be experiencing homelessness –– is “all about my moral duty to help people.”
“You know, it’s my responsibility to be able to see these people who need help and knowing that I have the resources to help them,” the rising middle schooler said.
So far, Jean has collected 120,000 books. To help the 10-year-old reach his goal and learn more about his passion for giving back, click here.
Get the latest news 24/7 on The Black Information Network. Listen now on the iHeartRadio app or click HERE to tune in live.