Twelve-year-old Sadie Hutson of North Carolina has turned a fun hobby into a mission to bring comfort to kids who are dealing with bumpy times.

Sadie and her mom hunt through thrift stores to rescue worn-out stuffed animals — and then Sadie gets to work washing, repairing, and re-stuffing them by hand.

When Sadie learned the local American Red Cross ran low on comfort toys for young disaster victims, she stepped up and delivered an incredible donation of 114 restored bears, bunnies, and other stuffed animal friends.

The Red Cross recently honored Sadie with a special award at a local fire station — but Sadie says she’s just happy to keep the project going so kids going through tough times know someone cares.

Sadie also hopes her project inspires other young people to make a difference in their own communities. "As long as you do it through the kindness of your heart, you can do it," she said.