Texas boy on a 'race to kindness' is getting toys, food, and books to kids across the state
Orion Jean says he's part of the race to kindness — and this is a marathon, not a sprint.
Jean, 10, lives in Fort Worth, Texas. Last year, he participated in a student kindness contest, where he pitched a campaign of compassion. He told CBS News that kindness is "a virtue we can all possess," and "it's what we need now more than ever." Jean won the contest, and used his $500 prize to buy toys that he donated to a children's hospital in Dallas. After that, he partnered with a relief group to organize food drives, and helped distribute 100,000 meals to families in Texas.
An avid reader, Jean has moved on to his next effort: collecting books to give out to children who might not have any at home. So far, he has 120,000 books, and would like to have 500,000 to pass out by the end of August. "I want to be able to share my love of literacy with as many people as possible," he told CBS News.
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Jean said he's participating in "the race to kindness," and he's learned that doing good and giving back is "not a one-time thing, it's not a three-time thing. It's something that can hopefully be continued on for years and years to come."
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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
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