10-year-old Peyton is going into fifth grade. Her favorite subjects are math and science. She’s a determined competitive swimmer who practices two hours every day, but the pool isn’t the only place she’s making waves.
Peyton has taken a stand against child homelessness with her charity, Eye of a Child.
At seven years old, Peyton was inspired to take action after witnessing her great uncle struggle with homelessness. She did some research and found staggering statistics. According to the American Institute for Research, 2.5 million children are homeless in the United States.
Determined to make an impact, Peyton sells t-shirts and homemade crayons in the shape of hearts to raise funds for these children.
“My charity is all about basically bringing awareness to child homelessness,” she says.
Each t-shirt she sells displays Eye of a Child’s mission: “Every child deserves to smile.”
All profits are used to purchase sustainable gifts, books and basic living necessities for children experiencing homelessness.
Peyton also encourages others to donate birthday gifts for children in homeless shelters. She recently did a back to school toy drive to support this effort.
“Seeing kids who probably haven’t smiled for a while, smile, it brings me joy. And I’m sure what I’m doing for them brings them joy as well,” says Peyton.
She has seen great support from her local community, with the charity being a collaborative effort of those helping Peyton raise funds and those contributing.
“I have a very strong support system. I have my parents, my family, and friends because some of my friends come with me to do pop-up shops, so that’s very helpful. And some of my parents’ friends help me a lot. Even some people that I don’t know [support me] because they’re buying my products,” says Peyton.
For other young people looking to make a difference in their communities, the young changemaker offers a piece of advice.
“Do what you want to do, be creative, create your own ideas and move forward,” she says.
While Peyton doesn’t know exactly what the future holds, she plans to grow the charity and may add more products to help raise funds.
“I’m just going to keep doing what I’m doing for Eye of a Child. I do know that I’ll keep moving forward with it,” she says.
Learn more about Eye of a Child. Read more Rustic Spirit stories.