Kindergartener sells cookies, hot cocoa to pay off lunch debts for 123 students at school

VISTA, Calif. -- A Southern California kindergartener's big heart helped hundreds of fellow students pay off their lunch balances at school.

Katelynn Hardee, a student a Breeze Hill Elementary School in Vista, was inspired to help after she overheard another student's mother saying she was having a hard time paying for something.

"She's very inquisitive," said Karina Hardee, Katelynn's mother. "And so she started asking me a bunch of questions, and I tried to answer as best as I could without too much for a five-year-old and just explained to her that some people aren't as fortunate as us."

So the five-year-old decided to help with her very-own hot cocoa and cookie stand.

"There were cookies and a snowman and a snowflake one," Katelynn said.

Her mom said she worked hard, sitting at the stand for three hours and selling her entire inventory. She then reached out to the school, asking if donations were even possible.

"I just left a note saying my daughter held a hot cocoa fundraiser over the weekend and would love to donate the money to any of the negative accounts," Karina Hardee said.

The money paid off the lunch balances for 123 students, and now Katelynn sees how far generosity can go. This week, she was honored by her school with an award.