CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (KWWL) – They say one person can make a big difference and one boy from Cedar Falls is doing just that.

Zachary Kohlhaas is eight years old. He said one day at school, his class talked about helping others. For him, that discussion sparked an idea – one that we can all learn from.

CHRISTMAS IN JULY BAKE SALE

For two days, Zachary and his younger brother and sister, Brady and Mackenzie, made holiday sweets. He wanted to have a “Christmas in July” bake sale in his neighborhood.

“I thought, ‘No one would have any [holiday cookies] in July, so how ’bout we give some in July?'” he said.

The siblings were hard at work in their kitchen. They made quite the spread to sell.

“It had lots of good sweets like cookies, some pretzels with almond bark on them, and some spoon things,” he explained. “They have a spoon, then peanut butter, then chocolate over them, then sprinkles.”

But Zachary wasn’t going to keep the money he raised. He wanted all the proceeds to go to the Northeast Iowa Food Bank.

“I felt like I was doing something important for others,” he said.

On July 30, with Santa sitting nearby, Zachary put on his Christmas hat and started selling his treats.

“People said, ‘That’s a generous heart of you. You’re such a good boy. Good job,'” he said.

SMALL ACT OF KINDNESS

Zachary raised $150. After the bake sale, he asked the Food Bank how he could help them.

“When somebody calls and asks how they can help the Food Bank, it just warms my heart,” Executive Director of the Northeast Iowa Food Bank, Barb Prather said.

The Food Bank told Zachary they needed canned food and toiletries. With the money he made, Zachary went to the store to buy it all.

“I realized how much it would mean to a ton of people,” he said.

Now, the Food Bank is thanking Zachary for his generosity.

“Zachary, on behalf of the Northeast Iowa Food Bank, thank you for what you’ve done because you’ve really stepped up and you being a leader at such a young age to show how you can make the difference in the lives of someone who doesn’t have food,” Prather said. “On behalf of the Food Bank, we want to thank you for what you’re doing.”

The third-grader has one message for us all.

“Probably, help others and be kind,” he said.