They looked at the world around them and decided they could improve it.

They gave of their time. They made things happen.

A 9-year-old set out to fight world hunger with the Internet. A 10-year-old learned to sculpt balloons to help abandoned pets. A 12-year-old thought to put something under the Christmas trees of children who had less than he did.

And though the scope of their contributions ranged from the global to the local, they shared a conviction — that you do not have to wait until you are an adult to pitch in.

The balloon kid

Jacob Abbisso of Marblehead makes latex come alive. With a few deft twists and turns of his hands, the 10-year-old renders balloons into colorful mice, reindeer, and poodles. People come out to watch whenever he performs his craft, wearing a black bib brimming with colored balloons. And real-life animals — cats, dogs, ferrets, and other abandoned pets — benefit.

A couple of years ago, Jacob’s second-grade teacher told him to “be a giraffe.’’ By this she meant that he should stick his neck out for someone in need. Jacob decided to sell balloon sculptures to raise money for the Marblehead Animal Shelter.

“I really love balloons, and I really love animals,’’ Jacob said. “This was a good fit.’’

Sometimes, Jacob performs on the street, handing out balloon sculptures for any amount that people want to donate. He also does parties for $50 an hour. As long as they are not on school nights.

Earlier this month, Jacob’s balloons netted $138.23 at the Marblehead Christmas Walk. On a recent Saturday, he collected another $35 at a toy shop. Over two years, Jacob has raised more than $2,000.

“People come to events just because they know he’s going to be there,’’ said Pamela Dante, a volunteer at the shelter, who said the money is used for food, litter, and medical care.

Jacob has no plans to stop.

“I’m definitely going to keep doing it throughout my life until my fingers get arthritis,’’ he said.

An appetite to help

Dylan Mahalingam of Derry, N.H., used to get scolded for leaving food on his plate.

“I would tell him, ‘Dylan, do you know how much food you waste?,’ ’’ said his mother, Krithika Mahalingam.

That changed in 2004 when the family took a trip to India. Dylan saw poverty. He saw children his age — 8 at the time — working in the streets. He started looking at his dinner from a different point of view.

“I started thinking, ‘How could I get this food over to another place?’ ’’ said Dylan, now a 15-year-old sophomore at Pinkerton Academy in Derry. “I wanted to make a difference.’’

Link to article: http://articles.boston.com/2010-12-21/news/29314659_1_balloons-fight-world-hunger-hunger-and-poverty