Difference Maker: Grant Skelton continues his childhood foundation to help others

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Every Thanksgiving, Grant Skelton’s grandparents would give him, his younger brother and their two cousins $50 and tell them to use it to help someone. Then on Christmas Day they would report back.

“It was a family tradition,” Skelton said. “We would get money at Thanksgiving and then tell the story at Christmas.”

Skelton was 4 the first time this happened, but when he turned 8 his other grandparents donated, too. He had $75 that year and thought he should take it a little more seriously and really help someone.

“That was my opportunity to do a little good in the community,” Skelton said. “And after that it just sort of took off.”

Skelton, with the help of his pastor, gave the money to a man living in his van. The experience inspired Skelton to do more. Together with his parents and pastor, he created the Granting Grace Foundation.

All donations to Granting Grace go to help those in need with food, personal hygiene items, gas cards, utilities and provide emergency housing.

In the last seven years, Skelton and Granting Grace Foundation have grown. He said they have helped more than 100 individuals and raised more than $80,000. They were featured by the NEXT Project, a program through rustmedia that highlights young people doing impressive things.

The foundation has worked with the Cape Girardeau Police Department who have directed those in need to Granting Grace.

Now 15 and about to start his freshman year at Cape Central High School, Skelton said that even though he’s “just a kid in Cape Girardeau, I really believe if you touch enough people and help enough people get back on track, no matter who you are it’s possible to make a change.”

Skelton said he learned the value of helping others from his family.

“Especially my grandpa,” he said, “who has always been good about helping any of his friends with bills or whatever. He’d give you the clothes off his back. It was a really good environment to be raised in.”

Even though he sees the world today as a torn society, Skelton said his view of the future is very hopeful. And he wants to keep building Granting Grace.

“I just want this to go as big as it can go,” Skelton said. “I believe it can be an outreach bigger than just the state of Missouri and go on to a country-size foundation.”

Skelton said he also plans to go to college and has been thinking a lot about pursuing a sports journalism career.

“I’d love to be a broadcaster or analyst,” Skelton said. “There are plenty of sportscasters who have foundations, too, but most of them probably weren’t started when they were 8 years old.”

As a future sports analyst, even though he is a die-hard Cardinals fan, Skelton picked the Yankees to win this season. However, whatever his future holds, he said he will never give up Granting Grace Foundation and wants to keep it going as long as he lives and then pass it on to someone else.

“The foundation will always be out there in front of anything else I want to accomplish.” Skelton said.

Skelton believes that in order to change the world for good it needs to be one step at a time. He said he wants people to see what his foundation does and then be inspired to help others and make the world a better place.

“I just want to help as many other people see what I saw when I helped that first person,” Skelton said. “Hopefully, I can help other people help other people.”