Hailey Fort of Bremerton has been caring for the homeless population of Kitsap County for more than four years. She brings them food, toiletries and warm coats, and she's even working on providing shelter to people who don't have a place to stay. In fact, during the past year, she's raised thousands of dollars to further her cause. Hailey's is a terrific tale indeed - especially when you consider that she is just 10 years old.

Hailey, whose father is first ETC Quentin Fort assigned to the USS Michigan Gold, learned about the plight of the homeless in our area when she was 6 years old.

"I was out with my mom and saw this man on the side of the road," she recalled. "I asked her what he was doing there, and she told me he was homeless."

Her mother, Miranda Fort, explained that "homeless" meant that the man had nowhere to live and probably didn't have enough to eat. That day, Hailey decided to help, so she and her mom bought that homeless man lunch. Little did Miranda know, but that sandwich was just the beginning.

Hailey's next step was to plant a garden. She wanted to grow vegetables so she could give healthy food to homeless people. Miranda helped in the beginning, but these days, Hailey plants, tends and harvests her produce, including hundreds of pounds of tomatoes, broccoli and more each year, all on her own.

Hailey guesses that she spends about an hour each day tending her garden and another hour or two delivering the fruits of her labor to her homeless friends each week during the season. Her mom estimates that Hailey has donated close to 400 pounds of produce from her garden.

But Hailey's passion doesn't end with her green thumb. In addition to handing out toiletries and providing warm coats to school children, she is also building homes.

When Hailey first decided to build homes for homeless people, Miranda decided they needed help. With plans designed by her grandfather, a contractor, and a $3,000 grant provided by Together Rising, Hailey has completed the first of what she hopes will be many small shelters for the homeless.

Hailey's first shelter is a small wooden house that provides about 32 square feet of living space, enough for a single person to lie down comfortably. The shelter is fully insulated and includes a window for ventilation and a locking door for security. Hailey says she's learned a lot about construction since the project began and does almost all the work by herself, though Mom jumps in to help out when it comes to cutting.

Initially, Hailey planned to give the shelter to her friend, Edward. They chose paint colors together and discussed where the shelter would be placed, but those plans didn't quite work out.

Hailey smiled as she shared an update on her friend's situation. "He moved back home with his mom in Colorado," she said. "He's not homeless anymore!"

Plans are currently in the works to donate Hailey's shelter to an organization that provides sanctuary for victims of domestic violence, and plans for the next shelter are already in place.

Hailey's efforts haven't gone unnoticed. With the help of her parents, she runs a website and Facebook page with more than 42,000 fans for what she now calls "Hailey's Harvest."

Hailey's story has also been picked up by local Washington ABC and NBC news affiliates, magazines like Military Kids Life and Popular Science for Kids, and on the Internet, including features on Bored Panda, A Mighty Girl, and the Huffington Post.

Recently, Hailey was awarded the Charlotte Bacon Act of Kindness Award from Newtown Kindness. The award came with a beautiful trophy as well as a cash prize, which Hailey, of course, promptly donated to North Kitsap Fishline's Birthday Fairy Program, which provides birthday gifts to underprivileged children.

In light of the cost of their daughter's big dreams, Hailey's parents started a crowdfunding campaign through GoFundMe to help pay for building materials and gardening supplies. Initially, they hoped to raise $500. Now, 10 months later, Hailey's Harvest has raised more than $55,000 and counting. Hailey plans to use the money to continue building shelters and provide for the needs of the homeless.

Even with all her success, Hailey has even bigger dreams.

"Well, I want to try and make a place where people can come and sleep in for a couple nights like the Salvation Army ... only bigger!"

And with all this spunky 4th grader has accomplished in her first 10 years, she has a pretty good chance of succeeding.

For more information, visit www.haileysharvest.com.