CINCINNATI -- True Garcia isn't a typical 5-year-old girl. She's one of the youngest volunteers with Maslow's Army, a local nonprofit dedicated to providing Cincinnati's homeless with food, first aid kits, clean clothes and basic hygienic supplies every Sunday.
"Their belief is that, by providing the basic needs, you can help rehabilitate the homeless rather than just treating the symptoms," True's mother, Vanessa Garcia, said.
The name of the organization refers to psychologist Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs, a theoretical model that proposes humans need a stable foundation of physical health and safety before they can focuses on satisfying "higher" social, intellectual and spiritual needs.
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The Garcias go to Fountain Square every Sunday to assist with this mission, but True got sidetracked Nov. 5, when she broke away from the volunteer tent to chat with a homeless veteran who had come to the event.
"The last bag of lunch I gave to someone who was on the stairs," True said. "We were talking about what shows I watch -- cartoons and stuff."
The pair talked for 30 minutes, and True's mother snapped a picture to capture the heartwarming interaction.
"(She was) just making friends and giving him a hug," she said. "I love that she didn't think anything differently of it."
True said Friday night she loved the picture her mother took and hoped to see her new friend, Edward, again soon. When she sees him, she knows just what she'll say: "I am so happy that you are here."
