Be Inspiring Month: You're Never too Young to Make a Difference

My favorite service experience has been co-founding my own non-profit with my older sister. We knew we wanted to help children in hospitals, orphanages, and foster homes but we were too young at the time to actually interact with them directly so we got to thinking about others ways we could help them. With a little brainstorming and help from our mom, we started making heart shaped pillows with special messages on them, which led to Lil' Hearts of Love being born. It was great learning a new skill, helping others, and bonding with my sister and mom all at the same time. Since then, there have been two different branches added to our organization, Pillows and Pages and Circles of Hope. For the Pillows and Pages branch, we make rectangular pillows with a pocket and in the pocket we put a book and special note. For Circles of Hope, I decided to use my interest in jewelry-making to give back by making bracelets with a hope charm and donating them along with a note of encouragement to girls rescued from sex trafficking.

Moriah with some of her creations!

Through our non-profit, I have learned how easy it can be to use my talents and interests to make a difference. It has also served as an example of how to not let obstacles stand in the way. My sister and I took a different route because of our ages and something great emerged from it! No matter the age, skill, or circumstances, you can help in some way. If you can't find a pre-established project that works for you, you can always make up your own project where you can use your talents, give back, and hopefully have fun in the process. You can also encourage others to join in with you and maybe even inspire them to create their own project as well. I hope our non-profit continues to flourish and inspire others!