Children instinctively want to reach out to help others, but what they don’t always realize is that those people may be closer than they know.
Young Makenzie from Georgia wanted to do something to help other children for her 8th birthday party. She found a program in her county called Books and Bears, a project dedicated to providing joy and “improving the overall well-being of a child, by providing reading books and stuffed animals to children in group homes and shelters.”
Makenzie asked people to bring backpacks, books, small toys, or stuffed animals to her birthday instead of presents for herself. Social workers will give the collected items to children who are often moved from place to place, helping these kids become grounded and feel valued during hard times.
Makenzie got a huge response! She was thrilled to take the items she collected for distribution and had quite the experience when she delivered her gifts. Through the experience, she realized that kids who are in need don’t necessarily look a certain way or wear a name-tag identifying them as ‘needy.’ She learned that it could be a student in her very class or one who sits next to her at lunch or beside her on the bus.
Makenzie is excited about how much she was able to collect for the kids in need, and looks forward to doing another project again soon.
Way to go, Makenzie, and thank God for opportunities to inspire kids to help others. By teaching young people to connect and empathize with those in need, we instill a life-long desire in them to help others.
credit: Start a Snowball