More organic tomatoes, fewer plastic straws fuel Carmel youths' push to save the planet

It started with his discovery that bees and sharks are endangered. Now, 9-year-old Leo Berry wants to help the planet.

That drive has bloomed into a Carmel-based nonprofit with an army of young, environmentally conscious volunteers who work with local schools, restaurants and other businesses to promote the use of organic food and other earth-friendly practices.

Why did he do it?

“Kids need to know how to help the world that we’re living in,” Leo says.

Volunteers' deeds start in a garden

For these kids ages 7-12, helping the world involves growing fresh organic produce at a community garden and delivering it to several Carmel schools, which put the food on their menus.

“People want local food, organic food," said Susan McCord, cafeteria manager at one of the schools, College Wood Elementary, where Leo and other volunteers attend. "They want to know where their food came from.”

While College Wood's garden is a schoolwide effort, McCord is thankful for the Helping Ninjas' consistent involvement. Last year, the group helped grow 400 pounds of tomatoes, along with radishes, zucchini, peppers and various herbs in the community garden and Leo's family's backyard. The youths not only tend to the crops but also take the time to deliver the harvested food to each school.

“Fortunately for us, the Helping Ninjas have come along and just really, really helped promote awareness,” McCord said.

On delivery days, McCord said, the kids' enthusiasm is contagious as they explain to classmates how the food is grown and the benefits of eating fresh, organic produce.

The impact is evident, according to McCord, as more students look forward to eating from the cafeteria's salad bar after learning where many of its ingredients come from.

Youths also help businesses become greener

The Helping Ninjas emphasize the importance of people knowing how their lives affect the planet. "They don’t realize how they impact the environment, and they need to really think about how to make a good impact," said 9-year-old Vedh Barre, a volunteer with the group and College Wood student.

On a trip with his family to India, Vedh visited a beach and found it littered with piles of plastic waste.

Once back in the U.S., Vedh and the Helping Ninjas went to work reaching out to local restaurants and other businesses to advocate for practices like recycling and phasing out plastic straws and plastic foam.

Youths use social media to say thank you

If a business is already doing its part, the group's members make videos of themselves "flossing," a popular dance move, in front of that business and then post the clips to social media along with the hashtag #Floss4Oceans.

If the business needs guidance, the Helping Ninjas offer a presentation in which they compare some of that business's products with alternatives that are more environmentally friendly.

Teaching better practices to others also empowers the group's volunteers to "grow to be big people that help the environment in a big way," Vedh said.

Leo's mother, Lindsey Berry, who was instrumental in starting Helping Ninjas, said its members' biggest lesson is that they are "more than capable to be the change."

Good deeds extend beyond environment

When they aren’t at the community garden or flossing for a cause, the kids in Helping Ninjas often are doing research that improves their own understanding of the environment and helps them with gardening practices and working with the businesses they advise.

Lindsey Berry is a resource for them, but Helping Ninjas is student-led, so the kids get to make the big decisions about who to help and how.

Not all of their good deeds are environmentally focused. The youths have also volunteered at Second Helpings, collected books for Indiana foster youths. Sometimes, Berry said, their work involves chores at home or writing blog posts for the group's website.

"We don’t even have mandatory meetings," she said. "I don’t want any child to be left out because Mom or Dad can’t get them there."

Families with kids who want to get involved can join the Facebook group, at www.facebook.com/helpingninjakids. Information is also available by emailing info@helpingninjas.com or visiting helpingninjas.com.