A young Brooklyn do-gooder is serving his community this holiday season with food pantries, farm stands, and giveaways — and this isn’t the teenage altruist’s first time lending a helping hand.
Obocho Peters, who is now nearly 13 years old, began his budding philanthropic endeavors by selling gently used clothes and shoes at the age of nine, while using the funds to buy toys for families who couldn’t afford them.
Now, four years later, Peters has shifted gears.
Along with his mom Sasha, Peters had planned to host an Oktoberfest Pop-up Pantry, where they would give out fresh produce and meals — but instead, the mother-son duo hosted a free farm stand, where they gave out over 25 turkeys for Thanksgiving to needy locals struggling this holiday season.
“I did not raise enough money to have the Oktoberfest Pop-Up Pantry… but it does not discourage me/us,” Peters wrote on his GoFundMe page, which collected nearly four thousand dollars. “With your continued support, I can offer my community a successful Thanksgiving pop-up pantry…It’s not easy, but I won’t give up.”
During the month of December, Obocho will turn 13 — and he wants to celebrate his entry into the teens with a Christmas brunch with his supporters and donors.
“They’ll get to get dressed up and come out and we’ll serve them hot food,” said his mom, Sasha. “This kid, again, on his 13th birthday, wants to celebrate with the community.”
Obocho’s benevolence even landed him on the TIME’s and Nickelodeon’s top 50 choices for the “Kid of the Year” award — a prestigious national honor, which highlights the good work of kids around the country.
“We received an email that he made it into the top 50, which is a huge deal out of all of the kids [that were also nominated],” said Sasha. “For him to make it into the top 50 was very exciting and motivating for him.”
Obocho’s GoFundMe is still accepting donations for his future food pantry initiatives, and he encourages all to contribute.
