We often come across moments that can change the trajectory of our lives. It is not that common however, to come across such an instance when you are incredibly young such as when you are merely 6 years old…
This little child met a homeless man when they were 6 years old, what they did next dictated the shape the rest of their life would take… keep reading to know their story.
Editor’s note: Hailey has since then transitioned into a young man and is now named Mason.
Mason Fort was only six years old when they was out with their mother and saw a homeless man sitting on the side of the street. They later recalled the moment, “I was out with my mom and saw this man on the side of the road. I asked her what he was doing there, and they told me he was homeless.”
As a six year old, it was not easy for them to understand what being homeless meant. Their mother explained it in terms she was sure her young child would understand; she told them the man probably does not have a place to live or food to eat. This immediately had an effect on her little child who was determined to help the man.
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Along with their mom, they bought the man a sandwich so he would at the very least have something to eat. After this encounter, Mason learned more about the struggles homeless people faced and was inspired to help them.
Mason started a garden farm where they planted vegetables and fruits to help those facing food insecurity. Their mother helped them constantly but when they turned 9 years old, the little child was able to take care of the entire farm on their own.
In 2015, when they were 9 years old, the young child estimated that they spent about an hour every day tending to their garden apart from the time they spent delivering the food they had grown to those in need. Their garden was named ‘Hailey’s Harvest’ and started to grow slowly but steadily into something much bigger.
In the same year, Mason won a grant of $3,000 grant from the non-profit organization called Rise Together. They used the money to take their charity one step further; they built tiny homes for the homeless!
Mason’s grandfather made the floor plans and the young child immediately got to work. They built 32-square-foot wooden houses, each big enough for an adult person to easily lie down. The tiny homes were insulated and came with a window as well as a door which locked. They planned to build twelve of these homes. According to their mother, Miranda Fort, each home cost about $300 because of the generosity of the community which donated supply and labor!
“Well, I want to try and make a place where people can come and sleep in for a couple of nights like the Salvation Army … only bigger!” Mason said.
Their mother also revealed how Mason considers all the homeless people in their community to be their friends and keeps in touch with them beyond donating them food and giving them shelter.
While Mason had been active for years, there have not been too many recent updates on their page. Mason’s mother is very active on Facebook and has been updating people about Mason’s transition throughout the years.
One of the lasts updates on the page for Hailey’s Harvest was from 2019 when the then 14-year-old met with Senator Rolfes to discuss affordable housing options.
This is such an inspiring story. We wish Mason and his family the very best of luck. Share this piece so others can know there is no minimum age to do good and dream big!
