MANSON — Azy “Mo” Felix, 9, of Manson, did the right thing when she found a $100 bill in a local store.

She turned it in, waited, and when it wasn’t claimed, did something kind and generous: It went towards helping her Uncle Bill who lives homeless in Des Moines.

“We bought him a phone, a coat and some nice gloves,” she said.

Her uncle and his plight inspired her.

-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen
Azy Felix, 9, of Manson, poses with her brother, Grayson, 7, and her dad, Matt, recently. Azy Felix has been collecting cans to raise the funds to help build a tiny house for a homeless person and also donates proceeds to shelters such as the Beacon of Hope in Fort Dodge.

“I wanted to help others,” she said. “Not just family.”

So how does a 9-year-old fourth-grader go on to help other homeless people?

She’s been collecting cans and cashing them in for the deposit. The money is going to two destinations.

“Some of it goes to my fund for building a tiny home,” she said. “Some goes to buy stuff for shelters. We get a lot of stuff they needed.”

Her dad, Matt Felix, and her brother, Grayson Felix, 7, help out too.

She’s not sure how many cans she’s collected yet.

“We haven’t counted them,” she said.

Dad has a figure, though.

“It’s about $300 so far,” he said.

She’s had plenty of people who have heard about her efforts bring cans to donate.

Her own contribution?

“Just pop,” she said. “I like Sprite.”

Her brother contributes too.

“Lots of soda,” he said. “Pepsi and Dr. Pepper.”

Her cousins Belle and Adalyn Wieshaar, of Manson, also helped. So did her grandmother, Debra Reinholtz, of Manson.

Azy Felix isn’t sure yet how much she wants to raise.

“I don’t really have a goal,” she said. “I do just want to raise a lot of money.”

So, how much is needed for a tiny house?

“It’s about $1,600 for a tiny house,” Matt Felix said. “That’s about 100 square feet.”

She also helps out another charity with her can collecting efforts — the Ronald McDonald House charity.

“We take the pop tabs off and donate them to the Ronald McDonald House,” she said. “We have 656 to donate.”

Felix is proud of his daughter.

“She’s done this all on her own,” he said. “She just tells me what I need to do. It’s all her own initiative.”

Helping has given her something too.

“I feel good and proud of myself,” she said. “Even kids can help.”