When a disaster like the bushfires in Australia happens, we're often at a loss. We want to help, but what could we possibly do that would feel like enough?
You donate a few bucks, maybe volunteer if you're in the area, but what about kids who don't have the money or skills to donate? They want to help too!
When his mom Caitlin answered him honestly that, yes, animals were being hurt in the fires, Owen got very quiet.
A little while later, he returned with a drawing of a kangaroo, a koala, and a dingo in the rain, telling his mom that it was his wish for the animals.
He would make little koalas out of clay and give them to friends and family in return for a donation to Wildlife Rescue South Coast.
When the idea proved to be popular, they made an Instagram post with a Venmo link and a goal of $1,000. For donations of $50 or more, Owen would make a clay koala and send it to the person who donated.
They hit that goal easily, so they decided to make a GoFundMe campaign with goal of $5,000.
As of this writing, Owen's Australian Creature Rescue has raised just over $51,000.
And mom Cailtin says that everyone who donates will still get a koala — but since they've already used up all the silver Scupley available in a 20-mile radius, they've had to pause and wait for more to be shipped to them.
"We have every intention to fulfill every koala, it just won't happen by tomorrow," Caitlin told CNN, "It's a 6-year-old using his little hands to make the spaces and the ears, so it does take time."
The total donation amount is overwhelming, but Caitlin says they've broken it down in a way that Owen can understand and feel like he's making a difference.
Every $25 can feed a baby kangaroo for one month, so Owen has fed a lot of joeys with his heart and a little bit of clay.
h/t: CNN
