At an age when most children are thinking about school, friends and what they will do after class, a young boy from Texas was thinking about something very different.
His name was Orion Jean.
And he had a question: What could happen if more people simply chose to be kind?
That idea would eventually grow into a movement that helped provide food to families and books to children across America.
It would also lead to Orion being selected as TIME’s 2021 Kid of the Year at just 11 years old. TIME
It Started With $500
Orion’s journey began after he entered a kindness speech contest in 2020.
He won.
The prize was $500.
But instead of thinking only about what he could buy for himself, Orion decided to use the money to help others.
He used his winnings to purchase toys for children at a hospital in Texas and encouraged other people to participate.
That became the beginning of his Race to Kindness initiative. TIME for Kids
But Orion wasn’t finished.
Then Came 100,000 Meals
During the pandemic, Orion saw families struggling with food insecurity.
He decided his next project would address hunger.
Working with organizations, volunteers, donors and members of the community, his Race to Kindness initiative launched an ambitious campaign.
The goal: 100,000 meals.
They reached it.
Reading Is Fundamental says the campaign ultimately collected more than 100,000 meals for people facing food insecurity. rif.org
For many people, accomplishing something that large would have been enough.
Not for Orion.
He had already begun thinking about another problem.
From Food to Books 📚
Orion loved reading and understood that not every child had easy access to books.
So he launched another enormous challenge:
Race to 500,000 Books.
Once again, people and organizations joined the effort.
And once again, Orion reached his goal.
TIME for Kids reported that he collected half a million books in just a few months, helping get books into the hands of children who needed them. TIME for Kids
TIME Took Notice
By 2022, Orion’s acts of kindness had attracted national attention.
TIME selected the Texas sixth-grader from a field of more than 5,000 nominees and named him its 2021 Kid of the Year. TIME for Kids
But perhaps the most memorable part of Orion’s story isn’t the award.
It’s how simply his journey began.
One child won $500.
Instead of asking what the money could do for him, he asked what he could do for someone else.
That decision led to toys for children in a hospital.
Then came food for families.
Then hundreds of thousands of books.
And eventually, thousands of people were participating in the same race toward kindness.
Years later, Orion has continued the mission. In 2026, Reading Is Fundamental described the now-15-year-old as continuing his Race to Kindness work. rif.org
Sometimes making a difference doesn’t begin with having millions of dollars or enormous influence.
Sometimes it begins with one person deciding:
I’m going to help. ❤️🇺🇸
He Was Only 11 When He Helped Provide 100,000 Meals — Then He Set an Even Bigger Goal
