Kirby Kids: Meet Mikey {November 2016}

Great Lakes Credit Union and Little Lake County are proud to bring you Kirby Kids: Kids. Doing. Good. This program recognizes a child each month that is doing good in their community and brings you their stories of determination, hope and goodwill.

When six year-old Mikey participated in a food drive for the very first time, he had no idea that it would affect him so deeply, and that it would set him on a path towards helping others. Mikey is just like other little boys his age. He loves Minecraft, doing science experiments and reading Elephant and Piggy books. What sets Mikey apart from others is his willingness and desire to give back.

Participating in a food drive was an amazing experience for Mikey and his family. Mikey took the drive to the next level by canvassing his neighborhood with his family, asking others to donate food for the food drive. Prepared with his little red wagon to help haul all of his donations, Mikey set off trying to get as many people to give as possible, and give they did! Mikey was able to collect so much food, and once he was done, he went to the food pantry with his sister and mom to hand in the donations. He was lucky enough to be able to shelve and organize the food with the volunteers, an experience which heightened his desire to continue helping others.

Mikey understands that some people don’t have as much as others, and he wants to do everything he can to try to help them. Participating in the food drive helped develop of strong sense of social justice for Mikey. This can be challenging sometimes, since he is so young, it is difficult to deal with so many emotions. Because of his age though, he has limitations on what he can and cannot do. He was very interested in hearing his grandmother talk about serving at a soup kitchen, but because of his young age, he was not able to help out with that. But Mikey does understand what it means to donate, and whenever he sees a jar or donation basket, he wants to be a part of it. He also helps his mom bring donations into their local Goodwill store, and he understands how his donation is helping others. Although he is young, Mikey is beyond his years in his desire to make the world a better place.

Mikey genuinely enjoys helping others. He wants to be a teacher or policeman when he grows up for exactly that reason–to help others! He takes pride in the work that he does, and he pushes himself to do as much as he can to help those in need. He does it for the most simple reason, and if you ask him, he will tell you why he does what he does:

“Because I just think it is nice to do things for others.“

Mikey tells us that no matter how young you are, you can make a difference. This is a very true and valuable piece of advice from a six year old! Mikey and his mom are planning another food drive, and hope to make this one bigger and even better! They hope to help many people during the holiday season, and encourage a spirit of giving and goodwill. Everyone can take note of this little boy and learn from him. He is definitely a true example of what we should all strive for in our daily lives.

Each and every one of our Kirby Kids gets to meet Kirby the Kangaroo at their local Great Lakes Credit Union branch. Kirby met Mikey at their local Crystal Lake Branch and opened up a youth savings account in his name with a $100 starting balance, courtesy of Great Lakes Credit Union.

Do you know an inspirational, courageous or exceptional young person living in Lake County, (age 15 or younger) who is serving as a role model in his or her community? Help us recognize these big hearts! Nominate a child for the Kirby Kids program.

Follow this link to complete a nomination form. If your nominee is selected we will contact you and/or the child’s guardian for inclusion in the Kirby Kids program.

For more information about the Kirby Kids, read our program introduction.

Disclosure: Great Lakes Credit Union is the paid sponsor of the Kirby Kids program.

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