Girl Helps Poor Mother Collect Garbage in Forest, Residents Find Out and Converge in Their Home – Story of the Day

A young girl helped her poor mother collect garbage in the forest every afternoon, and people assumed it was all because they needed more money. One day, their neighbors show up in front of their yard, praising them for their kindness.

Lara and her nine-year-old daughter Coco were very poor, living in the trailer Lara's late parents left behind. Lara worked a low-paying job as a street sweeper and barely had enough money to buy food and their other daily needs.

While Coco was in school, Lara would be at the park, fulfilling her duties as a cleaner. She would sweep the sidewalks and take out the trash the entire day until her shift ended at three in the afternoon.

Lara would then make her way to Coco's school to pick her up, and they'd happily walk towards the forest together. They would exchange stories about how their day went and the different people they encountered as they walked.

Each time they arrived in the forest, Lara would hand Coco a stick and a garbage bag, and together, they'd pick up the trash they'd see. Most of the waste consisted of plastic, cans, and bottles campers and hikers left behind.

One day, one of their neighbors was surprised to see them picking up trash in the forest right before sunset. "Why do you spend your afternoons collecting trash in the forest? That's barely going to give you any money. Another job would be better to earn more," he commented.

Lara shrugged. "I know we're not well-off, but there's no job more important than what we do every afternoon," she replied.

"What do you mean? There are many more important jobs – you can apply at a fast food restaurant or a grocery store. I'm sure they pay more than what you earn from picking up trash," the neighbor insisted.

This time, Coco decided to speak up on behalf of her mom. "Sir, what my mom is trying to say, is that nature is dying! If we continue to litter our forests, they'll end up polluted. Don't you want to continue enjoying this beautiful trail? You won't get to do that once it's swarming in trash."

The man was surprised. He never realized Lara and Coco were doing their neighborhood a favor, thinking they were picking up trash just to earn some extra cash.

He commended them for their service and apologized for being unable to contribute. He promised not to litter in the forest again and to be more mindful of the daily waste he contributes.

A couple of days later, on a fine Saturday morning, Lara stepped out of her house to take Coco to the park and was surprised to see an entire block of neighbors in her yard, standing there with bags and gloves.

"I'm sorry, am I missing something here?" Lara asked, confused. "How can I help you all?"

Then the man she met in the forest days back came out of the crowd and spoke. "After seeing you and your daughter in the forest, I posted about what you've been doing for us in the community forum. We realized it's also our responsibility to care for our environment, so we've declared every Saturday as our clean-up day," he revealed.

Lara smiled. She was delighted to know that her actions inspired others to better care for the environment. Thus, she joined them in the forest where they managed to clean a more extensive area than she and Coco would be able to when it was just the two of them.

Eventually, the town mayor discovered what Lara and Coco had done for the community. He wanted to reward them for their selflessness, so he gave them a generous reward by giving them a permanent house in the neighborhood, so they could stop living in a beat-up trailer.

"Thank you for sacrificing your time and comfort for our community. We need more people like you in the world," the mayor told them as he turned over the new house keys to Lara.

Meanwhile, Lara's neighbors, who were present during the turnover, donated furniture, appliances, and food packs that Lara and Coco could use in their new home.

Not only did Lara and Coco succeed in keeping the forest clean, but they also brought their whole neighborhood together. They gained an extended family through their neighbors who were steps away from them whenever they needed help.

What can we learn from this story?

• Setting a good example can inspire others to spark a movement. Lara and Coco worked on maintaining the forest simply because they wanted to do their part in taking care of the environment. In the end, their inspiring actions sparked a movement, inviting others to join them in their cause for environmental preservation.
• Our environment deserves to be respected and taken care of. The environment gives us everything we need and more. With more and more pollutants present in the world, humanity must do their part in ensuring that the environment remains taken cared of, to put an end to climate change, and so the Earth remains a livable place for centuries to come.

Share this story with your friends. It might brighten their day and inspire them.

If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a mother of four who was fired from her job without receiving her final pay, and she buys the company years later.

This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone's life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com.