This is a strange time to be a kid. A lot has been put on hold: school, time with friends and family, and normal routines. But many big-hearted children in our community have taken this time to help out and give back. Here are a few ways our youngest supporters have stepped up during our emergency response efforts.
1. Taking a stand against hunger
Nothing says summer quite like a lemonade stand. 8-year-old Maddie decided to set one up with her cousin, Violet. Instead of keeping their earnings, they decided to donate their money to our Food Bank.
“We’ve been discussing how we can help others during quarantine, and thought helping others get food would be a good first step,” Amy, Maddie’s aunt, said.
At 75 cents a cup, the cousins were excited to have raised $34. Maddie’s mom and aunts chipped in, bringing their total donation to $200!
“We have everything we need and there are people that don’t have enough. Thank you for helping families get food,” Maddie said.
2. Turning artwork into meals
Since school has been out, 7-year-old Ben has been painting a lot to stay busy. After seeing a boy his age sell paintings to raise money for a food bank on a Nickelodeon special on COVID-19, Ben was inspired to do the same. He got to work the next day, picked the paintings he wanted to sell, signed them, and gave them funny names. His mom, Jessica, helped email pictures of Ben’s artwork to family and friends with a note from Ben asking for donations.
“Thanks to our generous family and friends, Ben was able to raise $471! The sale went so well that he even needed to paint a few more custom pieces. It was wonderful to see him take an idea and run with it. Kids are capable of so much,” Jessica said.
We couldn’t agree more!
3. A heart-warming gesture
“You are doing great work. Here’s a little money to help.”
This sweet letter came with a donation straight from 7-year-old Dora Lee’s piggy bank. Dora Lee’s dad said she really wanted to do something to help people who are hungry and was frustrated she couldn’t do more – like volunteer.
She decided to donate half of what was in her piggy bank to our Food Bank.
Dora Lee inspired her 5-year-old brother, Kap, to do the same! He drew a picture to send along with his donation, too.
4. Getting creative during quarantine
For the past four years, 5th graders at Park Day School would spend a day volunteering in our warehouse. As part of their service learning program, they would tour our Food Bank, bag produce, and learn about our work. This year, things looked a little different. The class put together this video and organized a Virtual Food Drive as a way to stay connected and support our work from afar.
5. Inspiring our team
Sometimes, a little appreciation goes a long way. Children in our community made these signs and held them up for our team at distributions. It was a nice ‘thank you’ to our staff and volunteers who work so hard to meet the growing need.
