9-year-old saw homeless people on the streets of Pittsburgh—what he did next took his parents by surprise
Some children get brilliant ideas to help people in need and then execute them in a way no one expects them to. A 9-year-old Pittsburgh boy did something like that when he saw homeless people on the street. The boy, Ty Kolonsky, talked about an unusual "problem" to his mom during bedtime one day and his mom braced herself for what was to come next. But the boy had the most heartwarming request and a plan to accomplish it all, per Good Morning America.
He had decided to organize a pillow drive for the homeless people when he learned they did not have any pillows. "We have a whole bunch of stuff and they have none. So I wanted to make them feel a little better," Kolonsky shared. He wanted to help out in some form. The boy did not want to go to bed and told his mom that he had a "problem." His mom, Jill, recounted, "And he kind of looked up at me and he's like, 'I have a problem.' And I am like, 'Ok...' And he's...you know, you kind of brace yourself." Kolonsky highlighted, "I had three pillows and the homeless had none. When we’re going through the streets of Pittsburgh, we see a whole bunch of homeless people. And I think of all the stuff they don’t have," the boy told WTAE.
He could not donate used pillows, but he knew he would find a way to help the people. "I took my money, and I went and bought two pillows. And my dad said, 'Whatever you buy, I'll double it.' So, he bought four and my nana offered to buy six. So, we got nine total. And so then, I took those and my mom thought we were done. I told her no. So, like a couple of nights later, I told her to put out a Facebook post," Kolonsky explained. His mom and dad, Kevin, were quite proud of their son and grateful for the way he thought about other people and their needs.
"You’re just so thankful because we’re very real with the kids and talk with them about the things that they see and the things they experience. And for him to come up with that idea on his own, it was just incredible," the mom expressed. Soon after that, people at Kolonsky's school, church, and 4H group learned about his donation drive and decided to contribute to it. He managed to get 129 pillows, 68 pillowcase,s and four blankets. Eventually, Kolonsky decided to host a pillow exchange with the residents of Saint Joseph House of Hospitality in Pittsburgh’s Crawford-Roberts area on a Saturday.
"The guys feel super appreciated, and they can connect to other human beings, which for them is a big thing. Many of them have cut all ties and burned all bridges," Susan Rauscher, CEO of Catholic Charities, told the outlet. "So to have somebody caring about them is a really big thing. And then, of course, it’s just the comfort of having your own brand-new pillow. For some of us, that’s a quick trip to the store. But for them, that’s a huge luxury," she added.