TOLEDO, Ohio — There are 631 homeless people in Lucas County, according to the Toledo Lucas County Homelessness Board, and two 9-year-old best friends are making an effort to help feed them.
Gabby and Mackenzie created their own non-profit, G-and-M's Bracelet Shop. They make and then sell bracelets and use the money to buy food, which they then cook and hand out to people in need.
"Other people need the money more than I do," Gabby said.
Their work comes from something they enjoy: making bracelets.
"I like making bracelets and they're very easy to make," said Mackenzie. "I just don't know how to tie them."
So, their parents help them tie the bracelets and put everything together. Anna Sanchez, Gabby's mom, said the girls funded the effort mostly on their own in the beginning.
"$20 toward the whole thing from her, $20 from her and maybe like $10 from my grandpa," Sanchez said.
In just a few weeks, they've already raised $400 -- some of that through donations --, but it all goes right back into the community.
On Sunday, they said they passed out 75 plates of food around downtown Toledo.
In Lucas County, there has been a 17.4% increase in poverty since 2022, according to the Cherry Street Mission. CEO Ann Ebbert points to inflation.
"For individuals who were just hanging on in the past, it's really hard for them to hang on anymore," Ebbert said.
She encourages people to go to places like the Cherry Street Mission to donate or volunteer.
"When we partner together, we're so much stronger than when we try to do things one person at a time," Ebbert said.
Gabby and Mackenzie are already saving for their next event. They plan to do the same thing around Christmastime.
"Whatever makes them happy makes us happy," Sanchez said. "Especially that they're feeding the homeless and caring more about other people than themselves."
Ebbert also suggested referring people who are homeless to organizations like the Cherry Street Mission so they can give them more resources and get them back on their feet.
According to a Facebook page dedicated to Gabby and Mackenzie's bracelet making, the two are planning a feed the homeless event in December to pass out meals in time for the holiday.
To help or learn more about Gabby and Mackenzie's mission, visit their Facebook page 'G & M's Bracelet Shop' HERE.