Cayden Taipalus is only 8 years old, but somehow, he single-handedly changed his entire school district. The third grader noticed that one day, someone ahead of him in line at the cafeteria couldn't afford their school lunch. They had to leave their tray there and go off hungry.
Being the kind person that he is, this made Cayden feel sad. He went back home and told his mom. He asked her if there was anything he could do to help.
He called his project Pay It Forward: No Kid Goes Hungry. Cayden and his mom decided to collect bottles and cans to raise money to clear the lunch debt. They asked family and friends for donations, and Cayden's first check to the school of $64 paid for 150 lunches for students in need.
"I am so very proud of my son," his mother, Amber Peters told ABC News. "He is only 8 years old and to grasp the concept around this is just amazing in my eyes. He has a heart of gold."
First, he paid off his elementary school's debt, and eventually, the entire district. He managed to buy 295 hot lunches for students who can't afford it.
If Cayden teaches us anything, it's to trust our gut. If something makes us sad, if it feels like an injustice has taken place, then instead of being sad about it, maybe we should ask: how can we help?
"A small thing can turn out to be a big thing," Cayden says.
Please SHARE if you believe Cayden is exactly the kind of person the future needs!