8-Year-Old Halethorpe Boy Receives State Award For Helping Vets

HALETHORPE, MD — Since he was just 4 years old, Tyler Stallings felt compelled to help homeless veterans. With a family of veterans himself, Tyler couldn't understand why these heroes were left to live on the streets. So he partnered with nonprofit organizations like the Maryland Center for Veterans Education and Training and Patriot House, writing children's books to raise money for the purchase and distribution of laptops, clothes, hygiene products and other lifesaving supplies to give to the homeless veterans in Baltimore County and beyond.

Now as chief executive officer of Kid Time Enterprises, 8-year-old Tyler has continued to work diligently to provide homeless veterans with critical items needed during the coronavirus like hand sanitizer and face masks that will help protect them during the pandemic.

For his efforts, Tyler has been named as the recipient of the William Donald Schaefer Helping People Award for Baltimore County. Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot virtually presented the award to Tyler Monday.

Since 2012, Franchot has traveled every year to each of Maryland's 24 jurisdictions to honor an individual or organization serving their community that embody the principles that Schaefer, the late Maryland governor, Baltimore City mayor and comptroller, held dear. This year, all Schaefer Award presentations will be held virtually due to the coronavirus.