Daily Planet - VOLUNTEER YOUTH BECOME SANTAS TO HOMELESS

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The Daily Planet held its annual Client Present Give-Away the weekend before Christmas. Several previously homeless volunteers, as well as volunteers from Moody Middle School served up treats and presents in the spirit of the season.

Youth volunteers were the guest hosts at the event this year.

Cole Hodges and his Mom as well as many of her students from Moody Middle School gave meaning to the Holidays by taking action to improve the things they care about.

Cole, soon to be 12, founded a nonprofit, (www.DonateYourBirthday.org) to encourage other kids to ask their family and friends to give to the value of what would be spent on birthday presents to charity as a form of empowerment. He's been doing so since age 5 when a friend's sister developed leukemia.

Last year, Cole donated his birthday to the Daily Planet, and as a result, he was invited to a board of directors meeting. At the meeting, Cole was moved to expand his involvement with the Planet to include a community service project through his school, Moody Middle.

Cole organized a group of classmates to help him visit local area Ukrop’s once a month to hand out information, bring awareness to local homelessness, and encourage people to donate consumables to the Daily Planet. His monthly average is about $750 in cash and product contributions.

Many of the items they gathered (personal hygiene products) were used in the client gift bags handed given on December 23. Cole’s mom feels that Cole and his friends were blessed to be invited to help distribute the bags. They thought it was one of the best things they did all Christmas break.