When Cody Clark was just 5 his parents were diagnosed with cancer and his life made a drastic change at a very young age. He spent much of his childhood in waiting rooms and hospital halls watching his parents fight as well as seeing other families being affected. This is where Cody (now 16) developed his interest in helping others. After one late night trip to the emergency room Cody realized that the hospital could be a very scary and strange place to young patients and he decided he would do something about that. He started in his small Canadian district of Kemptville where he began creating ”Cody’s Comfort Kits.”
In September of 2002, when he was only 8, he raised money to create the kits that would contain books, blankets, videos, toys, rattles and always a teddy bear to make a child’s stay at hospital easier. They would be distributed to freely to the young patients ages infant to 16. He distributed more than 200 kits during the following year and then he expanded his charity.
The first annual Cody Clark Poor Boy’s Supper was held in November 2003, raising $2,800 for Cody’s program. Cody decided to donate $1,000 of the proceeds to Kemptville District Hospital’s Palliative Care Program, with the remainder being used to fund “Grandma and Grandpa Kits.” These kits would contain bedsocks, handcream, nail scissors, soap, face cloths, personal items and always a teddy bear. They were given to the older patients spending their holiday times in the hospital. During that holiday season he distributed another few hundred kits to these patients.
This sort of charity has gone on every year since and Cody has continued distributing his kits to young and old patients who just need a little comfort. Unfortunately he has since lost his father to cancer but he still continues to help others. This sort of good will doesn’t always need to come from tragedy and any child has this in them. Show your kids this post and let them see that even the little things make a big difference and that a little charity can go a long way in people’s hearts.
Accomplishments
- Named an Ontario Junior Citizen of the Year for 2002
- In 2005, was one of just 29 individuals (and by far the youngest individual) from across Canada to receive the Governor General’s Caring Canadian award for outstanding volunteer efforts.
- Since 2002 has distributed more than 400 Comfort Kits to young children and more than 100 Grandma and Grandpa Kits
- Inducted into the Kid’s Hall of Fame in October of 2005
- The Cody Clark Poor Boy’s Supper has been an annual event and has raised more than $40,000 for the hospitals and his kits.
- Began “Cody’s Cuddlers” which donates special teddy bears to child cancer patients
- Plans a charity based in the U.S.A. in 2010
Other role models for your kids:
Child Role Model – Ethan Bortnick, 9
Child Role Model – Ainan Celeste Cawley, 10
Child Role Model – Wendy Vo, 11
