In a heartwarming tale that proves kindness knows no age, a young girl’s selfless act with a found lottery ticket warmed the hearts of many in Independence, MO. Phoebe Brown, a second grader, stumbled upon a winning lottery ticket while out with her mother, Audrey. Audrey initially dismissed it, but Phoebe insisted it was a winner.

And indeed it was—a $100 winner. Rather than splurge on toys or treats for herself, Phoebe had a different plan. “That day a flier came in from the school to help with … canned goods and nonperishable items and she said, ‘mom, mom, can we do that?’ And I was like, ‘yeah,’” Audrey said.

Phoebe Brown used her winnings from a lottery ticket she found to buy food for her school’s food drive.

Phoebe’s father, Joshua, pledged to match her spending, and together, they headed to Walmart to buy canned goods for Sycamore Elementary School’s Thanksgiving food drive.

The Browns were overwhelmed with pride at their daughter’s compassion. “You wonder, if our kids these days, if that’s how they’re thinking and this just goes to show ya they are thinking that. and that’s a real good thing,” Joshua said. Despite briefly considering buying toys, Phoebe was driven by the spirit of giving.

“So we could shave Mr. Horeman’s beard and we could also help other families,” she explained, referring to the incentive for the winning class to shave off their gym teacher’s beard. Phoebe’s generosity paid off, as her second-grade class won the Thanksgiving fundraiser with 541 total items donated. Her simple act of kindness not only filled pantries but also warmed hearts and inspired others.

Second-graders got to shave their teacher’s beard for winning a food drive. Phoebe here used a $100 lottery winning ticket to buy food.

I would be too, especially if I had a daughter as kind and generous as Phoebe,” said one visitor.

Phoebe’s story serves as a reminder that even the smallest gestures can make a big impact. As her father aptly put it, “There have been times where I’ve been out of work, and we had nowhere to stay and our family’s taken us in, and helped us out. We’re thankful for our friends and our family.”

Indeed, Phoebe and her family have realized that sometimes, winning the lottery isn’t just about money—it’s about the joy of giving and the warmth of community. Watch below to see this kind-hearted girl and how she spent her lottery winnings.

Sources: Scary Mommy | KSHB