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It doesn't matter how old you are, you want your birthday to be acknowledged in some way. And this pressure for celebration is even greater among the younger generation, whose primary form of socializing is birthday parties.
But birthdays come hand in hand with a lot of pressure. To begin with, if you're a parent, you're expected to not only shell out on a gift for your child, but more often than not, a venue and party materials too. Sadly, this is beyond the means of the 13.6% of Americans who are estimated to live in poverty, resulting in a lot of upset children on their birthdays.
Credit: Pixabay
After encountering this problem at her school where 80% of students live below the poverty line, nine-year-old Bella Smith decided to take action. The third grader at Wyan-Pine Grove Elementary School in Kentucky did this by creating "Bella's Boxes".
Credit: Marlana Evans
In an interview with Good Morning America, Bella's mom, Marlana Evans, who is also a teacher at the school, explained that her daughter got the idea after a friend at school told her that they couldn't afford a birthday party.
"The school she attends is a Title 1 school, which means 80% of the population here is impoverished - so we have students that struggle with a lot of things," she said.
Credit: Marlana Evans
Because of this poverty, Evans explained, the school as a backpack club to provide students with the essentials that they need.
Now, the school's Family Resource Centre is also stocked with Bella's Boxes which are filled with cake mix, balloons, icing, and sprinkles.
Credit: Pexels
The contents of these boxes are typically donations from members of the community, and instead of asking for presents of her own birthday, the selfless nine-year-old asks for donations for the boxes.
"I'm extremely proud of her," Evans said. "She's a very good girl with a big heart."
Credit: Marlana Evans
Even though it is only April, Bella has already packed 65 boxes this year!
To see Bella packing up her birthday boxes for yourself, check out the video below:
She told Good Morning America: "I thank God for the opportunity for letting me be able to shine my light and show that I love my neighbor."
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