Feeding Others

When Elaina Johnson was 7, she came up with a plan to feed hundreds of people. “She wanted to make sack lunches” for people experiencing homelessness. That’s what her grandmother Shalynda Lund told TIME for Kids. Each bag held a peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich. There was a piece of fruit. And there was a drink, chips, and a granola bar. “We went downtown and she handed them all out,” Lund said. “All 400 of them.”

Elaina is now 10. She lives in Broomfield, Colorado. Helping others comes naturally to her. “I saw that there were a lot of people that needed food,” she told TFK. “As soon as I could help, I wanted to help.”

SHE CARES Elaina Johnson assembles care packs for people in Broomfield, Colorado, in September.

Relieving Hunger

Around 11% of Colorado residents say they don’t always have enough to eat. They say they can’t afford enough food. That’s according to a survey published this year by the Colorado Health Institute.

Of course, hunger is not a problem only in Colorado. “Hunger affects people in every single community nationwide,” Justin Levy says. He’s the executive director of Conscious Alliance. It’s a nonprofit hunger-relief group in Elaina’s hometown.

Levy has known Elaina since 2021. That’s when she and her grandmother went to the group’s national distribution center to help. “What she’s doing is incredible,” Levy says. “She has the drive and the spirit and kindness and compassion to really make a difference.”

WE CAN DO IT! Elaina (right) and a fellow volunteer help out at a food bank.

Food Hero

In July, Elaina was honored by Hormel Foods. The company made her one of its 10 under 20 Food Heroes. The annual award goes to young people who are fighting hunger. Elaina is the youngest person to receive it this year.

Elaina was also honored at a Broomfield City Council meeting. “We really wanted to support her and just make her feel like her city and county [are] behind her,” Heidi Henkel told TFK. She’s on the city council.

SUPPORT FROM THE CITY Elaina (center) poses with the Broomfield City Council after receiving recognition for her efforts.

Henkel has been impressed by Elaina’s efforts to feed migrants from other countries. Many are kids. Elaina put together snack bags just for them. She and her grandmother delivered the food to local shelters. “She made sure that the kids were feeling welcomed,” Henkel says. “That they had something to call their own.”

“I feel proud,” Elaina says, when asked about her work and the recognition she’s received. “No matter if you’re young, old, short, tall, you can always do something” to help others, she says. 

Inspired?

Let Elaina’s story inspire you to take action in your community. Click below for ideas about how you can fight food insecurity.