Meet this week’s Kidsburgh Kind Kid: Jeona Parson

Photo of Kidsburgh Kind Kid Jeona Parson used by permission from her mother, Destiny Johnson.

Jeona Parson and her mom had been out grocery shopping. They were driving back to their Canonsburg home when they saw the little girl. She was standing by the side of the road with two adults who appeared to be her parents or guardians, and a dog.

They clearly needed assistance — food or money or something to help them get by.

The sight of these vulnerable people grabbed Jeona’s attention immediately. She is only 8 years old. But she’s been raised to care about others. And she knew she was fortunate to be heading home with bags full of groceries, including food to make herself a healthy lunch before school the next day.

Jeona’s mother realized that her daughter was looking through the grocery bags to find things to share.

“She kept saying, ‘I’m a Christian. I got to help. I just can’t watch,’ in the most serious of sweetest tones ever,” her mother, Destiny Johnson, told Kidsburgh. “Of course, we pulled over so she could not only give the change she found but some of her own groceries for her school lunches she packs.”

Jeona’s mom was grateful to see this selflessness in her daughter. Most people wold keep on driving, her mother told us, and some people might even yell out their car windows telling the parents to get jobs. But Jeona “felt like she needed to do something and she did. She didn’t think twice about her food or her money and gave it with no second thought.”

We see why her mom nominated Jeona as a Kidsburgh Kind Kid, and we were happy to send a #bethekindkid t-shirt (kindly donated by our friends at Pittsburgh’s JAM Clubs!) to celebrate. Thank you for spreading kindness in the Pittsburgh community, Jeona.

Readers, we invite you to tell us about a child who has done an act of kindness that made you smile — whether it was something big, or a small but meaningful gesture. Parents and other caring adults can use this online form to tell us about a child who has made an effort to spread kindness in our community. You’re welcome to nominate kids of any age, up through age 17.

We look forward to writing about as many of these submissions as possible and celebrating the good work of our Kidsburgh Kind Kids by sending your child a #bethekindkid t-shirt.