Seeing the homeless inspires Md. 7-year-old to act

ANNAPOLIS, MD. — Leah McConnell's brown-bag lunches aren't anything special, just a simple sandwich, snack and a drink.

Neither are the plastic baggies she filled with snacks and items like socks and a toothbrush.

It's the heart and compassion that the 7-year-old Anne Arundel County resident mixes in that make them stand out.

Leah, a second-grader, has spent the past two years trying to help the homeless. She makes lunches for the Light House shelter in Annapolis and hands her "Treats to Streets" care packages to people in need.

"I am certainly impressed with her 'social awareness,'" Harry Cole, executive director of the Light House, wrote in an e-mail. "Showing compassion for people who are less fortunate and taking actions to help others is a lifelong skill that will take (her a) long way in life."

Leah started her Treats to Streets initiative first. She got the idea after riding around Annapolis and seeing homeless people. She said she thought about what it must be like to be hungry and need help and decided to do something about it.

Leah, the oldest of three children, worked with her mother, Anne McConnell, to develop the Treats to Streets idea. She gives away the bags whenever she spots someone in need. She has also given the baggies to neighbors and friends so that they, too, could hand them out, and distributed them to customers at her summer lemonade stand for the same purpose.

"I feel it's just nice to do it," she said, smiling. "It's not bad (other children) don't do it. They (just) don't think of it."

Her mother said she wasn't that surprised when her daughter approached her with the idea, and was happy to assist.

"Kids are naturally curious and thoughtful," said Anne, a pediatric nurse practitioner. "I just thought it was something we could do as a family."

Leah, who also sings, is a cheerleader and competes in pageants, said she wants to keep helping the homeless as long as she can.

"I'm a very busy girl," she quipped with a chuckle. "Probably when I'm not doing (all) this, I'm sleeping!"

Leah added to her activities late this summer by making lunches for the Light House. She delivers about 50 each month.

"It's absolutely wonderful," said Lori Balzano, Leah's teacher. "I think she's very mature for her age. She has knowledge beyond her years and she's very kind to others. It reflects her parents."

Holly Mallonee, operations managers and volunteer coordinator at the Light House, was equally impressed with Leah's efforts. She especially liked that her Treats to Streets bags contained items like socks, a welcome commodity.

"There's a huge need," Mallonee said. "A lot of people think they should give toys for children, but socks are a great idea."

___

Information from: The Capital of Annapolis, Md., http://www.hometownannapolis.com