We see it all the time. A story on the local news or a post on social media about someone who has fallen on hard times and needs help. Some of us may take a moment to read the post, and a few of us may even be compelled to donate to a charity or volunteer at a local nonprofit. But for many of us, that’s where it ends.

Not so for Alex, a nine-year-old boy, who saw a news story about a woman discharged from the hospital wearing only a hospital gown and socks, waiting at a bus stop in the snow. He knew he had to act. “Mama, we have to do something,” Alex said to his mom. And that’s when Alex decided he needed to learn how to knit.

“I had just learned to knit scarves and he would go with me to the craft store and I would show him the looms to knit hats, socks and gloves,” said Alex’s mom, Bri. “He remembered we could knit things and asked me if I could learn and teach him.”

After Alex learned the basics of knitting from his mom, he recruited other family members to help. “He got his grandma involved and four of his great-aunts. We have been knitting all spring and summer,” Bri said. “We are at about 200 hats so far and have some people starting on scarves as well. We still have a little more time before cold weather hits, so the hope is to get that number higher.”

The goal is to donate the knitted hats and scarves to the Food Bank or other local organization who can get the items to those who need them most.

As great as Alex’s knitting effort is, it’s not his first charitable endeavor. Last year, Alex worked with Clothes To Kids in Denver to collect 874 pairs of underwear and socks.

Not bad for a little boy who loves wrestling and just earned his yellow belt in Tae Kwon Do. “He’s just a big hearted 9-year-old,” Bri said. “Alex always wants to help people. We try to encourage our kids to help others because we are very fortunate with the life we have.”

So, what’s next for Alex? He’s talked about starting a lemonade stand and using the proceeds to buy groceries for someone in need. “I’m not sure what he will decide to do next,” Bri said. “But whatever it is, we will support him.”