By the Brisbane, Australia News Team (Originally in English)
It was mid-September 2017, springtime in Australia with the annual flower show in full bloom in the country town of Toowoomba. Adrian Young, an 8-year-old boy, had also blossomed into one of the city’s heroes after seeing a homeless man sleep on the street, then doing something about it. Sometimes, it takes the heart of a child to remind us of what it means to know, and be a symbol of love in action.
Our Association members in Brisbane came to Towoomba on the request of Supreme Master Ching Hai to award this compassionate boy AUD 10,000 to continue with his noble quest – creating a warm and welcoming home for the homeless people of his town.
One freezing cold night in the midst of winter, Adrian had gone shopping with his mum. When he saw a homeless man covering himself with blankets on the street, he began to ask why the man did not have a home and had to sleep outside. His heart was touched. As his mum answered his many questions, he began to cry, feeling the pain of the man’s suffering. At first Adrian wanted to take the man home and care for him. Upon realizing the magnitude of the problem, he decided to solve both the short-term and long-term issues regarding homelessness.
With a loving and supporting mother by his side, he used all the money he saved to buy and create 50 care packs consisting of essential items such as toiletries, food and snacks that homeless people normally would not have. He then delivered them directly to the homeless people and also to the main shelter, which acts like a soup kitchen for those in need.
This was only the beginning for Adrian. His heart had changed; he became an angel on a mission. Armed with the purest intention and an ability to touch the soul of others, he launched a social media campaign, a GoFundMe page, to raise awareness and money for the homeless. Many others were then awakened, like a chain reaction. Suddenly, love was put into motion and within days, at least AUD 2,900 (US$2,200) had been raised to create additional bags. More importantly, the locals were aware they had a problem in the city that had to be resolved; they had found a champion to gather around.
Included along with Supreme Master Ching Hai’s benevolent award to Adrian were Master’s books The Noble Wilds, The Dogs in My Life and The Birds in My Life, as well as some of Master’s poems. We also bought samples of vegan food commonly available in local supermarkets and explained how by buying vegan food for his care packs for the homeless people, he would not only be saving those in need, but also the animals. He understood immediately. We also prepared goodie bags for him and his family, full of vegan treats.
The family was very supportive of Adrian and extremely grateful to Supreme Master Ching Hai for sharing Her love. They could not believe the award was true at first, but since Adrian started his quest, many small miracles have happened around them.
Adrian and his parents have mighty plans. They are starting a charity and intend to be a beacon of support for those in need in their town. Heaven’s blessings to Adrian and family!