Western Pennsylvania 9 year old turns bedtime thoughts into action with pillow drive for homeless
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Updated: 7:26 AM EDT Mar 20, 2025
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INTO SOMETHING MUCH, MUCH BIGGER. WE HAVE A WHOLE BUNCH OF STUFF AND THEY HAVE NONE, SO I WANTED TO MAKE THEM FEEL A LITTLE BETTER THAT WE HAD SOME STUFF THAT THEY DIDN’T. TY ZELENSKYY, HIS MOM, JILL SAYS IT WAS JUST ONE OF THOSE NIGHTS HER NINE YEAR OLD PROTESTING BEDTIME, AND HE KIND OF LIKE, LOOKED UP AT ME. HE’S LIKE, I HAVE A PROBLEM. AND I’M LIKE, OKAY. AND HE’S, YOU KNOW, YOU KIND OF BRACE YOURSELF. THE PROBLEM? I HAD THREE PILLOWS AND THE HOMELESS HAD NONE. WHEN WE WERE GOING THROUGH THE STREETS OF PITTSBURGH, WE SEE A WHOLE BUNCH OF HOMELESS PEOPLE, AND I THINK ABOUT ALL THE STUFF THEY DON’T HAVE. TY COULDN’T DONATE HIS USED PILLOWS, BUT THAT DIDN’T DETER HIM. I TOOK MY MONEY AND I WENT AND BOUGHT. I WENT AND BOUGHT TWO PILLOWS AND MY DAD SAID, WHATEVER YOU BUY, I’LL DOUBLE IT. SO HE BOUGHT FOUR AND MY NANA OFFERED TO BUY SIX. AND MY MOM THOUGHT WE WERE DONE. I TOLD HER NO. A COUPLE OF NIGHTS LATER I TOLD HER TO PUT OUT ON FACEBOOK. AFTER SPREADING THE WORD ABOUT THE DRIVE AT SCHOOL, CHURCH AND FOUR-H THE COLLECTION JUST KEEPS GROWING. THESE ARE JUST SOME OF THE PILLOWS THAT WERE ON THE PORCH TODAY WHEN TY CAME HOME FROM SCHOOL. THAT TOTAL NOW 129. TY IS HAVING A PILLOW EXCHANGE WITH THE RESIDENTS AT SAINT JOSEPH’S HOUSE OF HOSPITALITY IN CRAWFORD-ROBERTS ON SATURDAY. HE’S ALSO COLLECTED 68 PILLOWCASES AND FOUR BLANKETS. THE GUYS FEEL SUPER APPRECIATED AND THEY CAN CONNECT TO OTHER HUMAN BEINGS, WHICH FOR THEM IS A BIG THING, RIGHT? MANY OF THEM HAVE CUT ALL TIES AND BURN ALL BRIDGES. SO TO HAVE SOMEBODY CARING ABOUT THEM IS A REALLY BIG THING. AND THEN OF COURSE, IT’S JUST THE COMFORT OF HAVING YOUR OWN BRAND NEW PILLOW. AND WHAT THAT CAN MEAN. AND FOR SOME OF US, THAT’S A QUICK TRIP TO THE STORE. BUT FOR THEM, THAT’S A HUGE LUXURY. THE FOLKS AT CATHOLIC CHARITIES AND TY’S PARENTS ARE IN AWE OF THE THIRD GRADER. YOU’RE JUST SO THANKFUL BECAUSE WE WERE VERY REAL WITH THE KIDS AND TALK WITH THEM ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE THINGS THAT THEY SEE AND THE THINGS THEY EXPERIENCE. AND FOR HIM TO COME UP WITH THAT IDEA ON HIS OWN, IT WAS JUST INCREDIBLE. AND TY’S NOT DONE TAKING DONATIONS TO GET INVOLVED. VISIT WTAE.COM. IN SCENERY HILL, WASHINGTON COUNTY, F
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Western Pennsylvania 9 year old turns bedtime thoughts into action with pillow drive for homeless
Ty Kolonsky's mom, Jill, said it was one of those nights — her 9-year-old resisting bedtime."He kind of, like, looked up at me like, 'I have a problem.' And I'm like, OK. And he's, you know, you're kind of bracing yourself," Jill saidTy explained, “I had three pillows, and the homeless had none. When we’re going through the streets of Pittsburgh, we see a whole bunch of homeless people. And I think of all the stuff they don’t have."Ty couldn't donate used pillows but was determined to help“I took my money, and I went and bought two pillows. And my dad said, 'Whatever you buy, I'll double it. So, he bought four, and my nana offered to buy six. So, we got nine total. And so then, so then I took those, and my mom thought we were done. I told her no. So, like a couple nights later, I told her to put out on Facebook," Ty said. Jill and her husband Kevin are in awe. “You’re just so thankful because we’re very real with the kids and talk with them about the things that they see and the things they experience. And for him to come up with that idea on his own, it was just incredible," she said. After spreading the word at school, church, and his 4H group, Ty’s collection grew exponentially. The total now is 129 pillows, 68 pillowcases and four blankets. Saturday, Ty will host a pillow exchange with residents of the Saint Joseph House of Hospitality in Pittsburgh’s Crawford-Roberts neighborhood. “The guys feel super appreciated, and they can connect to other human beings, which for them is a big thing. Many of them have cut all ties and burned all bridges. So to have somebody caring about them is a really big thing. And then, of course, it’s just the comfort of having your own brand-new pillow. For some of us, that’s a quick trip to the store. But for them, that’s a huge luxury,” said Susan Rauscher, CEO of Catholic Charities. Donations are still being accepted, and anyone who wants to contribute can email tyspillows@gmail.com.
SCENERY HILL, Pa. —
Ty Kolonsky's mom, Jill, said it was one of those nights — her 9-year-old resisting bedtime.
"He kind of, like, looked up at me like, 'I have a problem.' And I'm like, OK. And he's, you know, you're kind of bracing yourself," Jill said
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Ty explained, “I had three pillows, and the homeless had none. When we’re going through the streets of Pittsburgh, we see a whole bunch of homeless people. And I think of all the stuff they don’t have."
Ty couldn't donate used pillows but was determined to help
“I took my money, and I went and bought two pillows. And my dad said, 'Whatever you buy, I'll double it. So, he bought four, and my nana offered to buy six. So, we got nine total. And so then, so then I took those, and my mom thought we were done. I told her no. So, like a couple nights later, I told her to put out on Facebook," Ty said.
Jill and her husband Kevin are in awe. “You’re just so thankful because we’re very real with the kids and talk with them about the things that they see and the things they experience. And for him to come up with that idea on his own, it was just incredible," she said.
After spreading the word at school, church, and his 4H group, Ty’s collection grew exponentially. The total now is 129 pillows, 68 pillowcases and four blankets.
Saturday, Ty will host a pillow exchange with residents of the Saint Joseph House of Hospitality in Pittsburgh’s Crawford-Roberts neighborhood.
“The guys feel super appreciated, and they can connect to other human beings, which for them is a big thing. Many of them have cut all ties and burned all bridges. So to have somebody caring about them is a really big thing. And then, of course, it’s just the comfort of having your own brand-new pillow. For some of us, that’s a quick trip to the store. But for them, that’s a huge luxury,” said Susan Rauscher, CEO of Catholic Charities.
Donations are still being accepted, and anyone who wants to contribute can email tyspillows@gmail.com.
