Last year, 11-year-old Joey Gillespie led an effort to collect stuffed animals for underpriviliged children. Now, he's undertaken a different mission of generosity.

  • Last Christmas, Gillespie's idea led to 700 stuffed animals collected
  • Gillespie's new mission: to collect cards and letters of thanks for deployed soldiers

Meet 11-year-old Joey Gillespie and his 8-year-old kid sister, Taylor.

They’re going through some cards and letters - more on that later.

This story starts with Joey’s favorite stuffed animal, Mr. Bear, and lots of others.

Last year, before Christmas, Joey had an idea.

“In my mind, I saw like many children wake up and nothing was there because their parents, Santa, couldn’t afford it,” Gillespie said.

He then imagined these kids getting presents of stuffed animals.

So he posted his idea on Facebook, hoping people would contribute.

And they did. In the end, Gillespie's post led to collecting and distributing over 700 stuffed animals to underprivileged kids.

Now, Gillespie has a new vision: collecting cards and letters of thanks to members of the military and first responders.

“I feel like they just don’t get enough respect as they should for what they are doing every day," said Gillespie. "I mean, come on, they’re risking their lives.”

Gillespie's new mission has already collected several hundred letters.

A sixth grader, straight "A" student, and a member of the National Junior Honor Society, Gillespie already knows where he will spend college days: Yale.

While there, he says he will prove once and for all that the megalodon exists, and he’s going to find one. Maybe two.

Stuffed animals. Cards and letters of thanks.

How does doing all of this make him feel?

In his reply, young Mr. Gillespie showed he's not one for understatement. 

“It makes me feel like I saved everyone on earth from, like, a virus.”