A Riverdale, Illinois, teen raised a thousand dollars when she realized some of the students she tutored did not have clean clothes, according to The Chicago Tribune.
After tutoring some of her younger schoolmates, Washington Junior High School eighth-grader Jayera Griffin realized their clothes were not clean. She then raised enough money to rent her local laundromat so members of her community could wash clothes free for one night.
“I would see that their clothes weren’t as clean as they could be,” she said in an Wednesday interview with WGNTV. “So I thought they would focus more on what people would think about them and that it would lower their self-esteem.”
The 14-year-old saved her allowance and collected donations from the township and local school board to raise about $1,000.
“We raised her to be like this, where she knows to give and help out other people. A lot of people don’t have what we have and don’t have the luck we have. I'm very proud of her,” Michael Griffin, Jayera’s dad, said.
Tutoring and raising money are just a few charitable acts she has done. In the past, she has volunteered at local food pantries.
In addition to making the world a better place through community service, Jayera is committed to her studies. She's a member of the National Junior Honor Society, a straight-A student and participates in several after-school activities. She's also a cheerleader, choir singer and volleyball player.
Her kindness has reverberated throughout her community.
Keochia Alexander, a local resident and mother of two, said she is happy Jayera is making a difference.
“I'm glad she is seeing something that maybe we adults don't see at times. Maybe our kid’s clothes should be a little bit cleaner. I really appreciated her for raising the money,” she said.
This is only the beginning. Jayera wants to do this again, and we're sure she has a bright future ahead of her.