CHARLOTTE — Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day is meant to honor the civil rights leader’s legacy through service to others, and one local teenager has spent a third of his life doing just that.
Fifteen-year-old Jaylan Henderson has a passion for helping those in need. For the last five years, he’s devoted his time and resources on a day that he says is meant to better his community.
“This day means for you to help the community, help other people in need,” he told Channel 9′s Almiya White.
MLK Day is not a day off for Henderson. Instead, it’s a day on to serve those who are in need.
“Every year he asked me, ‘Mom, are we going to get some stuff for the homeless?’” said La’Gina McClinton, Jayla’s mom.
He first bought that question to her at the age of 10, which led him to start his campaign, “Jaylen’s Journey to Stop Homelessness.” Each year, Jaylan saves his money to buy hats, scarves and gloves to distribute at various shelters across Charlotte.
“Make sure they keep warm, because during the winter, everybody should know at this point it’s very cold, so I just want to help them so they won’t freeze to death,” Jaylan said.
His mom says King is one of Jaylan’s role models.
“So, he chose to do it on this day in observance of Martin Luther King,” she said.
“To help other people, help the community like Martin Luther King did back in the ‘60s,” Jaylan said.
Now five years into his campaign, Jaylan has given out over 500 items to men, women and children in his community.
“Something simple, as gloves and hat could be small to us, but it’s very big to them, so just to be able to see those smiles is just a blessing,” McClinton said.
Jaylan says part of his mission is “making sure they know that God is there with them and just to comfort them.”
He says through his campaign, he hopes to inspire more support and bring greater attention to the ongoing issue of homelessness in our community.
(VIDEO: Church building to be transformed into housing for people experiencing homelessness)
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