North Texas student, 11, shows compassion by passing out goody bags to the homeless
Anyone who thinks children can’t help solve the world’s problems never met a kid like Tristan Gratts of Azle.
The 11-year-old Hoover Elementary School student is doing his best to make life a little better for the homeless community. He creates his own special “goody” bags that he and his mom, Tiffany Gannon, then go and distribute to homeless people in the Fort Worth area.
“I got the idea from grocery shopping and from the presents I have received from Christmas,” Tristan said. “I just put 2 and 2 together.”
Each bag has a face mask, a pair of socks, toiletries, water, and easy open non-perishable soft food.
“We take them from home all the way to downtown Fort Worth,” Tristan said. “We usually see people around the 28th and Azle Avenue intersection and roads. There are also people around the hospital district we pass out to, and on Lancaster Avenue.
“We stop and hand out a bag if we see someone who needs it. We see anywhere from three to 30 homeless people in a day.”
They pass the bags out at least two or three times each month, Tristan said. It began after his 10th birthday when he asked for items for the homeless for his birthday present.
“I got a lot of stuff to put in bags for the homeless. Before that we would pass out water bottles and money if we saw a homeless person,” he said.
Tristan has help from his family putting the bags together, including his mom, grandmother (or Grannie, Debbie Gannon), aunt (Robin Moreno), and his sister (Makaila Gratts).
“We usually make 16 bags or so at a time,” he said.
“Tristan is the most compassionate person I know. I feel both humbled and proud by his passion to help those in need,” Tiffany said. “It has allowed me to step out of my comfort zone in order to make a difference in these people’s lives.”
Tristan has even come up with a name their charitable work, Give To Those Who Need, or GTTWN. He pronounces it “get twin.”
Tristan’s grandmother has been a big influence on him, Tiffany said. In the past year she has sewn together thousands of masks and given them away for free.
Tiffany said they have also begun passing out warm meals along with the bags, and they have collected blankets and coats to pass out as well. She said they’ve also recruited the help of a couple in Weatherford named Peggy and Bobby Crutsinger, who fix up donated RVs for veterans and homeless people.
“I have experience with construction, since my dad, James Gannon, and myself built my own home with our own two hands. I plan to help them as soon as possible in their mission,” she said.
In that same vein, Tristan has a larger goal of building a shelter for homeless people.
“I don’t know yet where I am going to build a place for the homeless, but all I know is that the path of life will show me the way,” he said. “I get a prideful feeling that this is just a piece of a puzzle that makes my soul be almost put together.”
Tiffany added, “This is just the beginning of something big. The ultimate goal is to have a roof over every head in our country. This goal will be achieved with perseverance and community.”