Be the Change: Through his own nonprofit, West Linn boy helps homeless with donated hygiene products

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    West Linn, OR (KPTV) — A seventh-grader has made it his mission to spread hope by helping those experiencing homelessness, and is doing so through his own nonprofit.

The Boschetto family recently moved from the Los Angeles area to West Linn. Symond Boschetto hasn’t been in Oregon long, but he’s already helping dozens of families without a home.

The 12-year-old has collected hundreds of hygiene products and delivered them to a homeless shelter.

A normal day for Boschetto can look like organizing hygiene products in his living room.

It’s the result of hours of dedication to his nonprofit organization, Share Hope USA. He started it to help the homeless when he was only 8 years old.

Boschetto told FOX 12 his motivation: “You don’t judge a book by its cover. You go out and meet them and it’s really heartwarming.”

He raises donations himself then shops for all the essentials; shampoo, conditioner, soap and more.

“I really like helping the homeless and helping other people. It’s just been like something I do all the time like at school if someone needs help, I help them and I spend my time helping them,” he said.

Russell Boschetto, Symond’s father, said his son has “he’s always seen the world through his heart.”

After the donation packing comes delivery, so FOX 12 joined the family’s first since settling down in West Linn.

They dropped off nearly a thousand hygiene products to Good Neighbor Center, a homeless shelter in Tigard.

Jackie Heckathorne, who lives at the center, said Symond’s efforts are commendable. “He’s so young and yet he’s so inventive that he can do that. I think it’s amazing”

Share Hope USA helped thousands of people in California, and now is doing the same in the Portland metro area.

For his work, Symond was given the FOX 12 Be the Change award.

If you’d like to join his mission to help the homeless, check out ShareHopeUSA.com.

To nominate a person or group deserving of the Be the Change award, please go to KPTV.com/BeTheChange.

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