10-year-old's random act of kindness brings woman to tears

SAN FRANCISCO, California — A 10-year-old’s random act of kindness brought a woman to tears, and video of the encounter is being shared across the country.

>>Scroll down for video

Leah Nelson started the organization, BecuzIcare11, in July. She said her mission was simply to encourage people to be kind to one another.

Leah decided to make bracelets and give them out as a reminder to help others. The idea is simple – When someone does something kind for someone else, they pass their bracelet to them in hopes that they will pay it forward.

Her parents help out but said the entire thing was Leah’s idea.

“Leah wants other kids to know they can make a difference and change the future for the better. BecuzIcare has inspired kids around the globe to show kindness and reminded many adults as well. My wife and I consistently wear the bracelets ourselves as a reminder to do something kind for somebody you don't know every day,” her dad, Charles Nelson, said.

TRENDING STORIES:

• Big tip helps waiter pay for trip to see family in Ireland
• Repo man tows older couple's car, raises money to pay it off
• Jon Voight buys Thanksgiving turkeys for stranger in line at grocery store

After a story about Leah’s organization went viral, she received bracelet requests from all over the world, including New Zealand, Sweden, Chicago and Atlanta. Her father, Charles Nelson, said they have handed out or mailed well over 7,000 bracelets since July.

Leah originally made the bracelets all on her own, but now she has help from family, friends and other children in the community. The company, Rainbow Loom,  that Leah uses to make the bracelets has donated an unlimited supply of rubber bands. The bracelets have gone to celebrities, law enforcement agencies, troops in Iraq and many others.

People soon began to ask how they could donate to the movement, so Leah's family created a GoFundMe page.

One day in October, the page received a $100 donation. That day, Leah happened to be out in San Francisco doing an interview about the organization.

“Leah was handing out bracelets on the street for an hour, sharing the BecuzIcare11 message. Many people ignored her, walked past her or simply shut her down. It was rough, but she pressed on with her mission,” her dad said about that day.

During a break from shooting, Leah noticed a woman and her child sitting on some nearby steps with a sign that read, “Shelter full. Need Room.”

Leah and her family decided they wanted to help by using the $100 donation they’d received that morning. They originally planned to get the woman a gift card to McDonalds, but instead decided to just give her food and the $100 in cash.

Her dad said he recorded the interaction simply to send to the person who donated the money but didn’t expect the woman’s reaction.

As Leah handed her the money, the woman broke down in tears.

“The homeless lady's reaction and surprise was all genuine. Just as Leah had been pushed away and ignored for the past hour while trying to pass out bracelets for kindness, this lady had also been ignored,” Charles said.

Charles said the woman told them she has a part-time job and five kids and often has trouble making ends meet. He said after seeing the attention they were giving the woman, others stopped and offered her shelter.

“This was a BecuzIcare11 moment, and this is what it's all about. Doing for others,” Charles said.

Along with the money and the food, Leah gave the mother one of the BecuzIcare11 bracelets, saying, “I wanted to give you this bracelet so that when you are blessed one day, you have something to give and you can pay it forward.”

The woman then asked to hug Leah, and told her, “It’s people like you that are going to save the world.”

We couldn’t agree more.

To learn more about Leah’s organization or get a bracelet, visit her Facebook page. The organization says the money donated to the GoFundMe page will be used to adopt families for Christmas this year.

Cox Media Group