Above and Beyond: 13-year old lends a helping hand to needy families

OCEANSIDE, N.Y. (WABC) -- Our latest edition of Above and Beyond features a teenager who's proving you're never too young to make a difference.

He decided he wanted to take on the problem of hunger in his community, and he's getting quite a response on our social pages.

Shopping for groceries in the supermarket is not glamorous, but it's something Cory Nichols, at 13 years old, is serious about.

Two years ago he saw a documentary about hunger on Long Island.

"It showed these people nobody knew were eating from food pantries or had lost their jobs or homes, and here were their kids I was eating with at lunch," said Cory.

11 at the time, he was moved to action. He started selling wristbands, and talking to pantries.

"We thought the food pantry would just want all the money, but they didn't. They wanted to know they could count on us each month, instead of all in one month," Cory said.

Years ago, Julia Santiago once needed the pantry at St. Anthony's Church. Now she works there.

"It brought me to tears to hear that a young man at his age went out to do something like this," Santiago said.

But Cory just hopes this is contagious.

"If somebody in New Jersey saw this and said, 'hey I can do that in my neighborhood', would you be psyched?," we asked Cory. "Totally. I mean my whole goal when I started was that I wanted to encourage other kids," he said.

The supermarket, Stop and Shop, where he goes every month surprised him. They were inspired to give.

"We are going to be giving you a $100 gift card for 12 months," the supermarket's Arlene Putterman told Cory.

That left him in shock, but happy and even more determined to spread this simple message:

"I mean if everybody would just give one dollar, then that is a box of pasta that goes to a family that needs it for dinner," said Cory.

If you like what Cory is about, Check out his charity: "C the difference: Cory Cares" Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/CTheDifferenceCoryCares

In two years, he has already raised $10,000. In this world of kids who obsess about their phones or something else, he tells me "Don't chase cool, be cool. Do something cool."