Follow the Little Red Wagon

Zach Bonner is on the road again in his mission to bring public attention to the hardships faced by homeless kids. Last December, the Florida sixth-grader began his 2,478-mile hike from Tampa to Los Angeles. Members of his family walk with him and follow along in a loaned RV.

Zach’s super-kid efforts put a spotlight on a crisis that has gotten lost in the midst bad economic news and the ugly debate about healthcare reform. The National Center on Family Homelessness [2] estimated that one in 50 kids experienced homelessness in 2005-2006—that equals 1.5 million American kids. That figure has undoubtedly swollen as the recession has hammered families living on the edge. “These kids don't have a home, they don't have a safe place to sleep at night,” Zach told USA Today last May. “They're out on the streets—not because they want to be, but because it's out of their control.”

Zach, 12, is a one-boy wrecking crew for both cynicism and sneakers. He began his philanthropic mission at age 6, using his little red wagon to deliver water to hurricane victims. A year later, that experience morphed into the Little Red Wagon Foundation [3] as a means to help underprivileged and homeless youth. In 2007-2009, Zach walked in stages from Tampa to Washington, D.C., raising $25,000 in supplies and donations. On his current coast-to-coast quest, he will pause in communities to speak and work on local projects that help the homeless.

So if you see a red-headed hero marching along the highway this spring, give a honk, say hi, and thank him for reminding us about what really matters. Better yet, talk him up to your students, track his progress, and show how one kid is making a difference simply by putting one foot in front of the other.