Owen’s father, Lt. Ronald Dailey, Jr., was a dedicated volunteer firefighter recognized for his bravery before he and his coworker were killed in a 2024 double homicide in Williamsport. Inspired by his father’s commitment to helping others, Dailey spends his Mondays at Jersey Shore Care & Share loading groceries, moving carts and brightening the days of neighbors in need, “just to make people smile and be happy,” he said.

Dailey’s motivation, he says, comes from a desire to bring more kindness to the world: “because not many people are kind to other people today.”

Before his untimely death, Lt. Ronald Dailey, Jr. was a proud member of the Independent Hose Company No. 1 for 15 years. In 2020, he was recognized for his bravery after he and other firefighters rescued a man from the burning Broadway Hotel in Jersey Shore.

“He’s the only one who went up that ladder to save that man,” said Owen’s mother, Dawn Good. “He would help anybody do anything.”

Hunter Smith/THE EXPRESS Some of the shelves at the St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church food bank in Jersey Shore are pictured.

Shortly after his father’s passing, Owen said he wanted to volunteer and help other people like his dad did. Since he was too young to join the fire station, Dailey looked for other ways to help.

While visiting the food bank one week over the summer, Owen asked the customer intake workers if he was old enough to volunteer. Always looking for eager helpers, they welcomed him with open arms.

“Ever since, he’s been coming to volunteer here and it just makes his day,” said Good.

Since 2024, Jersey Shore Care & Share at St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church, 229 S. Broad St., has supported neighbors through food distribution programs and community initiatives to ensure no one in the community goes hungry.

Each week, Owen helps the largely older crowd of volunteers with physically demanding tasks, leaving him with a sense of pride and joy in making a difference.

Hunter Smith/THE EXPRESS Owen Dailey, 12, of Jersey Shore, and his mother, Dawn Good are pictured posing in front of the shelves.

When he first started, Owen asked, “How much do you guys get paid for this? Because I don’t want to get paid,” his mother said. “He’s like, ‘The only payment I need is to see everybody smile and be happy.'”

Carl Schaefer, a volunteer and member of the church, said he was surprised to see the help. “We just have a bunch of senior citizens here, so it’s nice to see an influx of young talent,” he said.

“He’s like a spark,” Schaefer added. “There are some tremendously wonderful young people. It really makes you feel good about the future.”

Schaefer and the other volunteers said Owen’s enthusiasm and commitment are clear in his work ethic.

“He’d stay until 7 o’clock at night if we left him,” he said.

Hunter Smith/THE EXPRESS The sign for the food bank is pictured.

Volunteers praised Dailey, describing him as “a good kid,” “polite” and “very helpful,” among other compliments.

“We were just very surprised that he would want to come every Monday and help us out,” one volunteer said.

“He’s so polite and pleasant to the clients,” added another.

Care and Share Secretary Angie Boncal said Owen has come a long way since the Care & Share volunteers first met him.

“He was shy, young and unsure of the world, and over the months we’ve seen him bloom,” she said.

In September, Owen demonstrated his personal growth by addressing other families at the Angel Families Unite National Day of Remembrance for Homicide Victims, talking about his dad and his journey since the tragedy.

“He was my hero and my dad. He was someone to look up to when times were hard,” Owen said in his speech. “He was a really great guy.”

Through volunteering, which he hopes to continue at his dad’s former fire company, he is reminded of his father’s best qualities instead of the loss he experienced.

But more than that, he wants to see the good in the world, which is why he often talks about his volunteering with friends. While he hasn’t convinced any classmates to volunteer at the food bank yet, he proudly noted, “I got one of my friends to start doing chores for his mom,” which many will agree is a great start.