Most 10-year old boys look forward to long hours of play when the summer holidays come around. Xavier Elliot, however, is spending his summer vacation on a mission. His mission is to make clothes for children in need.
Hobby turned to Charity
Stephanie Elliot of Phoenix, Arizona, took up sewing as a hobby. “It offered me a great way to relax,” she says. “It was the way I spent my quiet time.” That was until her son, Xavier, took an interest in her hobby.
Xavier took a keen interest in the craft and after a while, he had his mind set on a cause. “He told me that he wanted to use his allowance to purchase fabrics that could make clothes for people who needed them,” recalls Stephanie.
Xavier and his mother teamed up and are now making clothes for those in need. They make clothes for children, adults as well as infants.
Being homeless
Xavier’s desire to help those in need comes from his own personal experience being homeless. He and his family have lived in several homeless shelters over the past few years. The first time was when Xavier was only a week old. Xavier’s father, Vincent, suffers from PTSD and was unable to hold down a job as he had frequent flashbacks of the time he spent stationed in Iraq. Stephanie, on the other hand, couldn’t work as she had a high risk pregnancy.
Vincent is now a volunteer at the Honor Guard where he works to raise awareness on PSTD.
“We’ve lived in four homeless shelters in the past two years,” recalls Xavier. “I know what it means to be homeless. I want to do what I can to make those in need happy.”
Changing the world one person at a time
The mother and son’s efforts have not gone unnoticed. Thanks to social media, their cause has been shared internationally. They have received donations from all over the world. Stephanie continues to update supporters on the progress of their projects on their Facebook page.
“It’s people like the Elliotts who change the world,” says Susan Friesland-Porch. Her family is one of the many being assisted by the Elliotts. “They are guardian angels.”
Still a lot to do
Xavier is spending his summer holiday at a sewing camp to learn more about sewing. His mother is at home translating her son’s creative ideas into actual fabric creations. They are currently making clothes for a Baltimore family that lost all they had in a fire and several other unfortunate events.
