Valentine: Birthday girl the gift-giver to foster children
Posted: 08/24/2012 01:12:36 AM PDT
Bailey Norman received
everything she wanted for her birthday -- and then promptly turned around and
gave it all away.
The newly turned 12-year- old had just one wish: to collect 300 pairs of
shoes to donate to foster children in need.
As a big sister to infant foster children that her family cares for, she has
a deep empathy for other foster children that don't always have basic things
they need, such as clothes and shoes.
So instead of asking for birthday gifts for herself, she decided to hold a
shoe drive to collect footwear for foster youth to wear back to school.
With the help of her mom and Parents by Choice, a nonprofit organization
dedicated to finding homes for children in foster care, she exceeded her goal of
300 shoes, collecting 208 new pairs of shoes and 150 gently used pairs of shoes,
as well as approximately $800 in cash and gift cards.
Norman also received a surprise visit from the entire Vacaville High School
freshman football team, who walked from practice, donated shoes and then sang
"Happy Birthday" to the birthday girl.
"It was quite a moving experience for us," said Parents by Choice
representative Tyffany Wanberg. "They might not have had money to buy new shoes,
but they gave beautiful, gently used shoes in sizes that our boys have a hard
time finding."
Norman hopes to make her shoe drive an annual event.
To find out more ways to help, call Parents by Choice, (707) 689-4497.
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