Kids across the U.S. are showing that you don't have to be a grown-up to make a difference. Many young people have stepped up to do their part following the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon in September.

From bake sales to bottled-water drives, collecting teddy bears to writing letters of encouragement, kids have proved that kindness comes in all sizes. Here are some examples of how young people pitched in to help the rescue workers who are toiling tirelessly at the sites of destruction:

• Joshua Pike, 12, an eighth-grader in Gaithersburg, Maryland, collected donations to send to the American Red Cross. He raised more than $2,500.
• Kids at Colleyville Middle School in Colleyville, Texas, worked together to raise money for the American Red Cross as well. Their contribution? More than $15,000.
• A sixth-grade troop of Girl Scouts from Clemson, South Carolina, has decided to help the rescue dogs that are searching through the ruins of the World Trade Center in New York City. In addition to donating dog food, the Girl Scouts have collected dog boots and antibiotic creams to help heal the dogs' injured paws. "They needed a lot of help," explains Elizabeth Muir, 11, "because of all that metal and glass they're stepping on."
• Students at Rocky Point Junior-Senior High School in Long Island, New York, filled 427 bags with soap, toothbrushes, and washcloths for the rescue workers.
• Some kids, like the students at Rushmore Elementary School in Long Island, New York, are writing thank-you letters to rescue workers. "I knew I was encouraging people to keep working hard," says fifth-grader Jamie-Lynn Martines.
• Even younger kids are getting in on the act. Seven-year-old Arielle Truitt of Harrisburg, Oregon, sold enough lemonade, cupcakes, and pins decorated with red, white, and blue beads to give $800 to the American Red Cross. "I felt bad for people because we don't know how many members of families were lost, and I wanted to help out," she said.