Henry and Lucy are at it again.
The young Goodman siblings, known for their generosity and big hearts, recently delivered hundreds of pounds of food to the Sharing Place Food Centre and the Orillia Youth Centre as part of a virtual food drive.
With the help of their mother, Nicole, they created an Amazon wish list, where people can purchase food items. They are delivered to the family’s Orillia home and the Goodmans sort and distribute them.
“Since breakfast clubs are closed at schools and some kids rely on them, I thought we could do something to help,” said Lucy, 9.
People are taking notice. Ten or more packages have been delivered to the Goodman house daily. It allowed them to deliver 336 pounds of food to the Sharing Place before dropping off some more at the youth centre.
It was Lucy’s idea to donate the food to those two organizations.
“The youth centre is a very important place and the Sharing Place needs a lot of food,” she said.
Lucy has been finding ways to give back for three years. In 2018, she set up a lemonade stand in front of her house and raised $230 for the Sharing Place. Her caring gestures have continued since then, but the COVID-19 pandemic limited her options.
So, when her mom suggested creating an Amazon wish list, she was excited.
“I was really happy because I haven’t helped in a couple of months,” Lucy said.
For her efforts, the youth centre gave her a T-shirt declaring her a youth advocacy ambassador. She was also made an honourary volunteer at the Sharing Place.
On Monday, the family will be making another delivery, this time to the food bank in Rama.
“It’s National Indigenous Peoples Day and we want to recognize that,” Lucy said, adding it is “important for people who might not be able to travel to get food.”
While most of the ideas for giving back come from Lucy, her trusty sidekick is a big help.
Five-year-old Henry lends a hand by packing and labelling boxes and going along for deliveries.
“I like helping people,” he said. “It makes them happy, not sad that they have no food.”
Lucy wants to see other young people take the initiative like she has.
“I hope other kids are going to lead by example and help our community, too,” she said.
Follow the Goodmans’ journey on their Facebook page, Lucy and Henry Change the World.
Their Amazon wish list can be found here.
