8-year-old boy is on a mission to help 1,000 homeless people in Washington D.C.

An 8-year-old is on a mission to help as many homeless people as he can. Zohaib Begg, from Virginia, recognized the problem of homelessness in the country's capital, Washington D.C., and decided to do something about it. This was not his first stint with lending a helping hand in times of need and it won't be the last. He has given himself the title of "Chief Kindness Officer" and lives up to it as well. Last year, he took on the task of helping frontline workers, and this year he is going the extra mile to help the homeless in any way he can.

"The reason I want to give to the homeless is that every time I go to D.C. I see it's a problem with my own eyes, and I had the desire to help them from my own heart," the third-grader told CBS News. He is working with Sharon Wise, an advocate for homeless people, who was once homeless herself. Together the two of them distributed care kits on the 3rd Street tunnel off New Jersey Avenue in Washington, D.C. The kits included donations from local companies and included food, toiletry kits, and other supplies that one would need such as masks and socks.

Begg reached out to the companies himself, with the help of his mother, urging for donations. "I kept making holes in my socks so my mom got me Bombas, and I thought they're very comfy. Then I thought, 'Hey maybe Bombas could give me some socks.' So me and my mom emailed them for 50 socks and they ended up giving us 600," he said. Additionally, he has also gotten in touch with dentist offices, Trader Joe's, Wegmans, and Chick-fil-A for donations. He added, "It means a lot to me and I know how the families feel and I just hope these kits give the families who are dealing through this hard time right now a little bit of comfort."  

"They weren't born one day and say, 'Hey, I think I want to be in a camp one day.' You know, they ended up there and seeing him out there with me and some of the other volunteers, it just gives them hope, saying, 'Wow, this little boy is out here. He cares about us,'" Wise said about Begg. The young boy has a goal of helping at least 1,000 people in need. It was a goal initially set for Global Youth Service Day, the largest youth service event in the world that highlights the heroics of those aged 5 to 25. Even though the days of the event have long passed he continues to work toward his goal.

"I believe in spreading kindness, and all my donors and partners for this event share this vision and also believe that no one is too young to make a difference," he said. Begg added, "It makes me happy to give to others. I also want to show children that no matter your age, you can always make a difference and a positive impact in your community. You just have to find the problem and find one solution." Last year, when the pandemic hit the US Begg decided to focus on being of help to frontline workers. He decided to help them tackle the shortage of personal protective equipment.

Begg managed to single-handedly collect 6,000 items of protective gear for frontline workers. These items included, shower caps, masks, and gloves from idle hotels near Ashburn and donating them to Inova Fairfax Hospital, reported WUSA9. He was inspired to take action when he learned that his aunt, who is a healthcare professional, did not have protective headgear to wear during her next shift. His efforts were even appreciated by former US president Barack Obama.