6 of 8 Phoebe's Food Bank

Phoebe’s Food Bank: Five-year-old Phoebe Russell asked her mother “Why do the homeless live that way?” In Phoebe's city, San Francisco, the homeless population ranges between 6,200 and 15,000.
Phoebe's mother, explained about hunger and homelessness. That led to another question: "Who helps them?"
Phoebe also took this question to her preschool teacher, Kathleen Albert. I explained to her some people don't have homes and jobs; some people have really bad things happen to them." Phoebe was determined to help.
Her family would often take cans to the grocery store and recycle them for cash. She asked her parents, "We collect cans at home -- can we do that for the food bank?" Her goal: $1,000 in two months when the school year ended.
Phoebe also recruited her preschool class in her new project. Albert didn't think it could be done. "At five cents a can, one thousand dollars.. A bit unrealistic. But Phoebe was adamant.
The act: Albert and the classmates were onboard. Phoebe spent her recess crafting a handwritten letter and sent them to 150 friends and family members. In neatly written, oversized letters, she wrote: "My charity project is to raise lots of money for the food bank. They need money. Please give me your soda cans."
Phoebe's enthusiasm was infectious. People dropped off checks, cash, and cans at Phoebe's classroom door. The first couple of weeks, a few bags filled with cans showed up. Over the next few weeks, thousands of cans poured in. Once a week for two months, Phoebe counted every single bill and coin herself. She stowed the cash in a box she decorated with shiny star stickers and hand-drawn flowers, dollar signs, and the words: "Phoebe's Project. SF Food Bank." A local columnist got wind of the project and wrote about her effort. Word of mouth also carried her message.
"I've never seen so many cans in my life," Albert said. "People would leave them at the preschool door; others put cash in the mailbox.
The ripple: By the two-month deadline, just before summer break, Phoebe nearly quadrupled her goal, raising more than $3,700, equalling 18,000 meals. A social networking site devoted to inspiring stories posted an online video about Phoebe's project, and it went viral. Six months later, the total reached $20,202, or about 80,000 meals. The video was submitted to Tyson Foods' Hunger Relief Challenge, which led to a donation of 15 tons of chicken, bringing it up to 120,000 meals.
Phoebe's determination to feed the hungry created a "Yes, we can" preschool campaign.
Phoebe, now 7, is in first grade, and her family and friends volunteer at the San Francisco Food Bank. Perhaps more importantly, she inspires her preschool protégés and fellow classmates to pay it forward. Three students at her former preschool raised more than $5,300. That makes a total of more than 135,000 meals served in her community. "It makes me feel good," she says politely.
Her first question -- "Why do the homeless live that way?" -- may never have a good answer. That second one -- "Who helps them?" -- she answered on her own.