Most children want presents, cakes and even a party for their birthdays, but Wyatt Mitchell decided for his sixth birthday he wanted to help others.

Mitchell, who goes to Learning Tree Preschool in Niles, donated food that he collected and purchased with birthday money to the Edwardsburg Food Pantry at Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church in Edwardsburg.

“He saw a little boy on TV that had to help his grandma save her house and he thought ‘I can help people too,’” Wyatt’s mother, Jennifer Mitchell said. “So he decided he wanted to donate food.”

Instead of presents, family and friends brought Wyatt food and money.

Wyatt took the money he was given and purchased the food to be donated to the pantry himself.

“He helped pick out all the food, so most everybody took him shopping,” Jennifer said. “Or the people who didn’t take him shopping asked him what he wanted them to buy.”

The Rev. Joseph McCormick of Our Lady of the Lake was impressed not only that Wyatt decided to donate food to the pantry, but the thought he put into it.

“That was very impressive,” he said. “It was so impressive the way he took the money and shipped for the items. I think it was an all around good learning experience. He really thought it through. I thought that was just terrific.”

The pantry is open at Our Lady of the Lake Church in Edwardsburg Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Our Lady, the Presbyterian Church and Hope United Methodist are the three churches that have joined forces to run the operation with the help of volunteers from throughout the community.

Donations of money or food can be dropped off at the pantry during its normal hours. Our Lady of the Lake is located at 24832 US-12 in Edwardsburg.