‘It makes me feel very happy’: 8-year-old boy raises more than $50,000 to help homeless veterans

(WAVE) – Tyler Stallings grew up in a family of service members in Maryland, which could explain why at 4 years old, he made it his mission to help homeless veterans.

In a CNN report about the little hero, Stallings is revealed to have asked his mother if he could build houses for vets in need; he didn’t know how someone who fought for their homeland could be without a physical home.

Building houses seemed to be a little too difficult a feat, so instead, Stallings and his mom found a simpler gift to give: “Hero Bags.”

“Doing something special for veterans began after I started asking my mom why some veterans are homeless,” Stallings, who is now 8, said on his GoFundMe page. “After talking to my mom, I really wanted to help build homes for veterans but together we decided on a more realistic goal. We came up with an idea to make hygiene and grooming kits with thank you cards to give to veterans in need. I call them Hero Bags!”

The young boy started collecting hygiene products, which he compiled for the Hero Bags. Then, he reportedly handed them out to veterans’ groups and to people on the street.

Stallings has stayed dedicated to his mission for four years, giving out 3,000 bags since he started and raising more than $50,000. Stallings and his mom use the money to purchase more supplies for the Hero Bags.

“Anything people can do to help them with items on their wish lists, that’s where people like Tyler come in,” Andrea Blackstone, Stallings’ mom, said. “For Tyler, being a part of that community as a superhero has been about raising awareness.”