'Hero bags': The 8-year-old who has helped nearly 3000 homeless war veterans

Tyler with a Vietnam war veteran. Photo / Gofundme

When Tyler Stallings was just 4 years old he couldn't believe many war veterans are homeless.

The young US boy had always seen them as heroes and couldn't comprehend how the country didn't do enough to look after them.

Wanting to make a difference, Tyler asked his mum if he could build homes to get the veterans off the street.

But while that wasn't realistic for a young boy, Tyler and his mum devised a plan.

"Doing something special for veterans began after I started asking my mum why some veterans are homeless," Tyler said on his GoFundMe page.

"After talking to my mum, I really wanted to help build homes for veterans but together we decided on a more realistic goal. We came up with an idea to make hygiene and grooming kits with thank you cards to give to veterans in need. I call them Hero Bags!"

Tyler's hero bags include hats, jumpers, blankets, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and many other grooming items. Photo / Gofundme

Tyler, who is now 8, would hand pack her hero bags for the homeless veterans.

During winter, hero bags would often contain a hat, gloves, blanker, lip balm, a jumper toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap and grooming equipment to keep tidy.

Now, after four years, Tyler has donated nearly 3000 hero bags, his mum Andrea Blackstone told CNN.

Tyler picking up a number of items to deliver in the hero bags. Photo / Gofundme

Many people in Tyler's family are veterans, including his grandfather. Photo / Andrea Blackmore

She explained Tyler buys the equipment from the donations on his Gofundme page.

"Anything people can do to help them with items on their wish lists, that's where people like Tyler come in," Blackstone said.

"For Tyler, being a part of that community as a superhero has been about raising awareness."

After creating the funding account in 2016, Tyler has raised more than $33,000.