Leo Bonilla feels lucky that his family’s kitchen is always filled with food. That’s why the 11-year-old wants to help people who don’t have enough to eat.
It all started in 2020. That’s when Leo saw a TV news report that showed families waiting in long lines for food.
“I didn’t realize that many people didn’t have food,” he says. “It’s not fair.”
At the time, Leo had $22. He asked his parents if he could donate it to struggling families. They agreed. Leo and his parents then asked friends to donate too. Soon they had raised about $1,500. They gave the money to the D300 Food Pantry. It provides meals for families in and around Leo’s hometown of Algonquin, Illinois.
But Leo didn’t stop there. He went on to hold food drives in his town and at his school. He collects items like pasta and cereal. So far, Leo has collected about 11,700 pounds of food for D300. He’s also raised more than $10,000 for the pantry.
Leo hopes more kids help those in need. “Think about it,” he says. “If you didn’t have food, wouldn’t you want people to help you?”