Gwyneth Hayes isn’t your average 6th grader. 

“When we first heard the presentation in our school cafeteria, I was just wondering what I could do to help,” said Gwyneth. 

Students at Bettendorf Middle School were asked to collect donations for the homeless this holiday season. But rather than just handing in a check, the 12-year-old wanted to do something different. 

“I could put my own little touch on them,” she said. 

Gwyneth decided to make handmade ornaments, and use the money she raised to buy socks for those in need.  

“If you went to a store you couldn’t find the same exact ornament. You have a special way to remember putting money towards helping towards a good cause,” said Gwyneth. 

Her mother, Michelle Hayes, says they try to give back all year round in their family. When she found out what her daughter was doing, she was happy to see her take initiative. 

“There’s paint right now on my kitchen chairs and there’s probably sparkles all over the kitchen floor..but knowing she worked so hard, it’s fine,” said Michelle.

To get the word out, the Hayes family turned to Facebook friends for help. 

“It just kind of snowballed and we had to keep a tally sheet and order form so we could make sure  we knew who to deliver to and all that,” said Michelle. 

The ornaments quickly paid off, and before long Gwyneth was cleaning out the sock aisles at her local Walmart.   

“I bought with the money I raised I bought 215 pairs of socks,” said Gwyneth. 

“It was pretty cool to go to the sock aisle and literally clean it out,” said Michelle. 

After turning in the socks at school, Gwyneth says she’d do it all again.  

“I felt really good about myself and proud that I probably changed over a hundred people’s lives by giving them one pair of socks,” she said. 

And hopes to spread the message that giving back is something anyone can do all year round. 

“You don’t have to do a big thing like what I did with making ornaments,” Gwyneth said. “You could just maybe sell comics that you drew by yourself just in your room maybe, or maybe you could just go out and sing and try and earn money that way.”

Since her original donation, Gwyneth received over 250 additional pairs of socks to donate from Bombas Socks and Lifeline Christian Mission. 

The socks have been donated to Humility of Mary shelter in Davenport.