This Teen Captures the Imagination of Homeless Kids With His Favorite Childhood Toy

Aug 19, 2015 12:00 PM ET
Grant Mercer

Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Grant Mercer. Read his story and nominate an outstanding volunteer or organization as a Point of Light.

Every week for months now, 17-year-old Grant Mercer has visited a Marietta, Georgia, homeless shelter – not with food or clothing, but with Legos for the kids.

"You can make anything you want out of them," he says of the colorful building blocks. "They give young kids the chance to let their imaginations run wild."

Grant says he came up with the idea for his program, Building Buddies, when he remembered how much he enjoyed Legos as young boy.

"I thought everyone should be able to play with them,” he recalls. “When I tried to find a way to make that happen, I thought of the shelter where I had volunteered in the soup kitchen a few times."

Read the rest of the story on the Points of Light blog.