Children are so fascinating. Watching as they think, hearing what they say, and observing how they play can teach us so much. But when a child selflessly gives to others, it touches our hearts.
As we celebrate Thanksgiving, I want to look back at some of the amazing gifts we have received from kids recently. Jack, Max, Annika, Charlie, and Ben (pictured above) spent their last days of summer selling lemonade to help support Loaves & Fishes. What a special day it was when they brought in their earnings! Their spirit of giving is contagious. For every $1, we can purchase $8 worth of food for struggling families.
William decided that instead of birthday gifts, he wanted to collect food to donate to Loaves & Fishes. Mila collected personal care items in lieu of birthday gifts. She donated over 300 toothbrushes and tubes of toothpaste to families in need. When she came to Loaves & Fishes, her smile reflected her heartfelt generosity. Eight-year-old Henry also got into the act when he organized and collected birthday care packages for the children who come to Loaves & Fishes. He doesn’t want any kid to miss out on the fun of celebrating their birthday. We’re sure his 8th birthday is one he won’t forget.
And we won’t forget it either. The beautiful thing about these children’s gifts is that they found creative ways to give, and they did so with joy. Every gift, large or small, is welcome. It is many people of all ages coming together that makes Loaves & Fishes so special.
As we continue to serve more than 8,000 people a week, the generous hearts of our community make that possible. Last year, we served more than 330,000 people; the year prior we served about 200,000. As more and more families need help, we are thankful that more and more people have stepped up to help.
Thank you to the many kids including Jack, Max, Annika, Charlie, Ben, William, Mila, and Henry for leading the way. You may be small, but your hearts sure are big.
