Story: Young Fundraiser with a Big Heart
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When the earthquake and tsunami hit Japan in early 2011, Emilia once again sprung into action and generously donated all the money in her piggy bank – her mom also matched this donation.
Later on in the year, Emilia saw the news coverage on the flooding in Manitoba and the fires in Slave Lake, Alberta. With her bank account drained and her piggy bank empty, all she could find was a small handful of change. With it, she said, "I want to give this to the people with fires and floods.” Together, Michelle and Emilia talked about other ways she could help and perhaps raise more money.
They decided on a ‘change drive’. The next day, Michelle contacted Stefanie Hencheroff at the Canadian Red Cross and discussed options to support a local program. Stefanie provided Michelle with a brochure on Red Cross programs to share with Emilia. Emilia decided that she wanted to help families in our Community who may be affected by fires or flooding – so choose the Disaster Management Program.
Spending several hours over the course of four weekends, Emilia took her hand drawn sign, her coin collection boxes and her infectious smile, door to door to collect change for those that may be affected by a disaster. Her hard work paid off; she had collected so many coins she needed a wagon to get it to the bank. Her collections totalled an impressive $318.00.
When we asked Emilia about how she felt about what she had done, she replied, “It makes me feel good in my heart to help and I know how important it is to help people.”
When Stefanie met Emilia and Michelle to accept the money, she gave Emilia a sock monkey. Stefanie explained to Emilia that when the Red Cross assists families who have lost everything, they give these monkeys to little boys and girls like her and that with the money she raised, they would be able to buy more of them. Emilia accepted the monkey with tears in her eyes, knowing what a difference she had made.
“This was definitely one of my best days on the job,” said Stefanie. “I continue to be amazed at Emilia’s humanitarian spirit and the time she spent collecting money when most kids are out enjoying summer.”
