Justin Thran Feeds the Hungry

To the typical teenager, hunger signals a trip to McDonald’s. But to 17-year-old Justin Thran of Wellington, Nev., (pop. 346) hunger means an opportunity to help those less fortunate than himself. In fact, Justin cares so much about the feeding of hungry people that in the past seven years he’s donated more than $70,000 to northern Nevada charities.

Justin credits his close relationship with his father, Bob Thran, as one of the major influences on his humanitarianism. Remembering how his schoolteacher grandmother took extra sandwiches to school for needy kids every day, Bob says he was raised with a strong tradition of helping other people. He has obviously passed that legacy on.

Justin showed signs of being a chip off the old block at the ripe old age of 5, when he gathered up all his favorite toys and gave them to a family of small children whose father had just died. “I knew the toys couldn’t replace their father,” he explains, “but I hoped they would help.”

His formal career in philanthropy was launched at age 10, when he made a wish that nobody would have to go hungry. He then used the $100 he received from his dad for Christmas to make his first donation to the Northern Nevada Food Bank. “I just wanted other kids to have what I have—a roof over their heads and food on their tables,” he says. “I knew I couldn’t give them a house, but I could give them food.”

Far from wealthy, Justin and his father have managed to make ends meet with minimal income over the years. A single parent who homeschools his son, Bob makes his living teaching basic construction skills to underprivileged youth who’ve had problems with the law. For seven years, the Thrans lived in a 30-foot camp trailer while saving money to buy land for a house. Since then, they have built their home, doing all the work themselves, except for laying the carpet.

But back to that $70,000. How does a young teenager come up with that kind of money? With no trust fund to draw on and no hefty weekly allowance, Justin practices philanthropy in his own special way, feeding hungry kids one birdhouse at a time.

Drawing on his father’s carpentry skills, Justin learned how to build wooden birdhouses about seven years ago. He then set up his own business called Justin’s Woodcrafts and, together with his father, travels around to area craft shows to sell the homemade goods. Over the last several years, he’s sold more than 4,000 houses and donated all his profits to local charities.

Clean-cut and wholesome, Justin exudes a delightful charisma with his bright blue eyes and sunny smile. Even though he insists he’s no different than any other kid (“My room is a mess and I have to be told at least twice a week to take the garbage out.”), many people believe that his unselfish dedication to others makes him unique.

“He’s not a typical donor,” explains Julie Jeffers, director of development for the Ronald McDonald House in Reno. “People don’t usually create their own business in order to give all their profits away.”

Cherie Jamason, president and CEO of the Food Bank of Northern Nevada, agrees. “Most people give from their surplus, but he gives away everything,” she says.

When asked why he works so hard just to give it all away, Justin’s answer is refreshingly simple: “It feels good to help others, and it’s something I do because I can.”

Justin acknowledges that when he leaves home soon, he’ll have less time to spend on charities because he’ll have to work to pay for his living expenses. He hopes to stay in his hometown of Wellington, a tiny rural community southeast of Reno that served as a stagecoach stop back in territorial days. As this remarkable young man looks to his future and approaching adulthood, he’s already found new opportunities to help others. Recently, he began training to be an emergency medical technician for several volunteer fire departments.

Although Justin has been encouraged to expand his business and to even sell birdhouses on the Internet, he’s decided that he’s best suited to keeping his philanthropic efforts closer to home. He hopes, however, that people who read about his work will be inspired to help others in their own communities.

Jeanne Lauf Walpole is a freelance writer who lives in Reno, Nev.

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