Durham 11-year-old brightens spirits at Urban Ministries with weekly snack bags

DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) -- Addy Hamer attracts a big crowd on Sunday evenings at 5:45 p.m. when she hands out Ziploc bags packed with snacks to people who are homeless at Urban Ministries.

"I just like seeing people happy," Addy told ABC11. "When people are poor like this, I don't like seeing that, and I wish they could just be lucky like me."

The Lowe's Grove Middle School sixth-grader has given away more than 1,600 bags since last June.

"They say 'thank you' and I say 'you're welcome' and then some of them say 'you're doing a really great and you're helping us out a lot.' And so that just warms my heart," Addy said.

Addy's dad, a school counselor at Lowe's Grove Middle School, inspired her to help others.

She watched him drop off bags of food at the McDougald Terrace community.

Terry Hamer often checks on his students and their families as Durham Public Schools continue all virtual learning.

"God blessed me with some wonderful kids," Terry Hamer told ABC11. "For her to want to do something like this at an early age, extremely proud, extremely proud."

Packing and distributing the snack bags is an ongoing family project that includes Terry, Addy, and her mom, Yolanda.

"My mom always wants me to put others before I put myself," said Addy. "So that's why it makes me feel happy inside."

Addy has dreams of helping many more people in the years ahead.

"I think it's going to keep scaling up," Addy said. "I think I'll continue to do it when I grow up, because I like helping people."

Addy and her family prepare 60 bags every week.

They use much of their own money and also accept donations on a GoFundMe page.