One of Zayd’s car washing clients was Dublin City Councilmember and mayoral candidate Michael McCorriston. (Zayd Badar)
A 13-year-old student from Dublin, California, has raised $2,100 through a home-based vehicle cleaning business, with half of every sale going to local charities that support homeless and food-insecure residents. Badar has cleaned around 60 vehicles since launching the business on July 8, according to a report by local news platform Dublin Patch. By setting aside 50 per cent of his earnings, he raised $1,000 for local community organisations within weeks. Prices range from $15 to $30 per car, depending on the service and location.
When Badar said he was too young to get a regular job, his grandfather encouraged him to think about starting his own small business. “That’s when I thought about car washing and asked my mom if we have a hose I can use,” Badar said in an interview reported by Dublin Patch. “I am doing this because I wanted to learn entrepreneurship while also learning to give back to my community,” Badar told Dublin Patch.
Zayd Badar, an eighth-grader at Fallon Middle School, started his business, Kindness Car Wash, in early July after his grandfather raised concerns about how much time he was spending on screens during the summer break. Wanting to stay busy, the teenager decided to start washing cars from his driveway. Badar runs the business from his family home in Dublin, but also travels to customers’ homes to clean their vehicles when requested. The idea began during a conversation at home when Badar’s grandfather suggested that he spend less time on digital screens during the school summer holiday. “At first, it was just about me making some pocket money but then my mom reminded me that if I’m making money it’s also good to give back to the community. I have always been passionate about supporting homeless and food insecure people. Following his mother’s advice, Badar decided to split every payment equally between his own savings and charitable donations. His customers have included local residents as well as Dublin City Council member and mayoral candidate Michael McCorriston. The car wash is the latest community service project Badar has carried out with his family over several years. During the previous winter holiday season, the student organised a gift drive for low-income and unhoused students in the Dublin Unified School District. He created an online registry where members of the community could buy items from a list of things requested by students. After the gifts were delivered to his home, Badar packed them individually and gave them to school district officials, who distributed them to families in need. “Ever since I was young my mom has always done community service projects with me. I also want to show other kids that you are never too young to make an impact in your community. I hope other kids get inspired by my project and do projects that they are passionate about! Badar continues to accept bookings for his car wash service while balancing the business with his studies at Fallon Middle School.