The Sanford Herald: Wicklow 11-year-old collects toothbrushes for homeless kids

 John Loso spent his summer a little differently than most children his age. After a successful toothbrush charity drive at his elementary school in May, the 11-year-old decided to continue his efforts during the summertime.

John, of Lake Mary, collected more than 800 toothbrushes at Wicklow Elementary School after he was inspired by an episode of “60 Minutes” regarding the growing number of homeless children in Seminole County. Now his goal is to collect 400 toothbrushes, along with tubes of toothpaste and containers of floss, and to accomplish it all before school starts.

“It’s something that I can help the community with because there’s a lot of homeless people,” John said. “And it’s not just lazy people that don’t pay the bills or anything; there’s kids out there. It seems like a lot more kids than adults actually.”

Trace Trylko, chair of the Seminole Action Coalition Serving Our Needy (SACSON), said the numbers in Seminole County, especially Sanford, are extremely high.

“Of Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties, Seminole County has 25 percent of the homeless of those three," he said. “And a good number of those are in the Sanford area.”

Of the homeless population in Seminole County, 17 percent are veterans and 40 percent are women and children.

The number of homeless students in the Seminole County Public Schools system has increased to more 1,700 in this past year. A majority of these young people live in various homes for short periods of time, with no place to call home, Trylko said. Because there is not enough room in homeless shelters, many of them live in motels.

Trylko is also a member of the board for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul of All Souls Catholic Church, where the John family attends and where the community can drop off contributions. The John family also has a partnership with a Firehouse Subs in Lake Mary.

Firehouse owner Suzanne Kelly said many people have asked her to support their cause, but John’s mission was something she was interested in promoting.

“We really try to partner up with good causes for our local area.... We try to do what’s right,” she said. “We knew it was a nice thing to do.”

Janice Plescia is a member of a local group called the Bonkel Club and visited John and his mother at the Firehouse Subs last week to provide them with buckets filled with 250 items gathered by the 13 members of the organization.

“We all decided right away, it was something we’d like to support because it’s a very worthwhile cause,” Plescia said. “With Seminole County as it is with the homeless, all of us should be doing something to help and this is just a small way that we can help. But I think it’s a wonderful enterprise that he has. And for John to have thought of it and to come up with the idea and to move forward with it is a wonderful thing.”

John thanked Plescia and three other group members for contributing the supplies, and they replied with sentiments such as, “Keep up the good work.”

Plescia, Trylko and others have said they are amazed at the work John has done at his young age.

“He’s 11 years old and he decided to do this on his own,” Trylko said. "What more will he do? It's exciting to see what more he will do. How will he make a difference? What future leader will he become? And I credit his family because they want to have a heart for this issue at a time when, honestly, not everyone wants to have that heart.”

John's mother, Susan, said she is proud of what her son has accomplished.

“He has a big heart,” she said. “He just wants to help people. He’s going to go far. He really is.”

John said he plans to conquer more ways to help the homeless and that other projects are in the works.

“[Mom] tells me to slow down; finish one thing at a time because I’m already thinking about the next one,” he said.

John said he is happy with the work that he’s done in order to assist the homeless children of the county, saying “One kid can make a difference.”

As of Wednesday, July 27, the John family raised 2,046 items and hope to continue surpassing their target before the Aug. 15 deadline. All aggregated items will be distributed to Pathways to Home and Rescue Outreach Mission.

John and his mother paid a visit to the Rescue Outreach Mission homeless shelter on Thursday to donate items, which included one toothbrush, one tube of toothpaste and one container of floss in each package, to each child in the home.

Chantal Brazell has been at the shelter with her two children, Aliyah, 2, and Walter, 4, for about a year. She said she was thankful for John and his family to donate the toothbrushes to her kids.

“It’s good that they donated toothbrushes. My kids love to brush,” said Brazell. “I think it’s a good thing that people who donate toothbrushes can teach kids how to keep their mouth clean. It’s important for them to keep their breath smelling good and have healthy teeth.”

Rescue Outreach Mission Executive Director Ernest Hamilton said he is very appreciative of John’s efforts because something as small as a toothbrush is so big for them those who need them.

“It’s amazing,” Hamilton said. “That’s good teaching from his parents; already teaching him philanthropy and how to give. In this time, our operating costs are extremely high. More people come in than we can [help] but God makes a way and we are still here.”

For more information, email John at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . To donate, visit the All Souls Catholic Church, 301 W. 8th St., or the Firehouse Subs at 3587 Lake Emma Road in Lake Mary.