Girls Just Want To Give Back

From lemonade stands and clothing drives to American Girl Dolls...these young philanthropists are starting early to give back.

The Village has been lucky to receive donations from some very generous young women.

Sklyar Sylvester and Araya Muska of Windsor Locks organized three “more than lemonade” stands where they sold iced tea, flowers, brownies and, of course, lemonade to raise money for The Village. They combined what they raised with some of their own money to purchase things they thought new moms would need.

“We have everything we need, so we wanted to spend our time helping others,” said Araya about the time it took them to organize the effort and shop for the items to donate.

Skylar was happy and proud and to give back. “Every little bit matters, whether you help just one person or many people.”

Morgan Bonaiuto from Columbia, CT donated four American Girl Dolls to help girls who might be suffering from anxiety. Not long ago, Morgan spent some time with her aunt in California, where she got to know her aunt’s foster children.

“I saw how hard it could be for them and how happy they were and how much they appreciated when they got something new.”

She hopes these dolls can provide comfort and be a best friend to girls who are being helped by The Village, as they have comforted her in her own times of need.

Phoebe Rotelli of Glastonbury is no stranger to The Village. For the past few years, she has been supporting us by collecting and donating clothing and household items to be sold at our Glastonbury Second Chance Shop. Each year she runs the clothing drive, her collection gets larger. Over the past three years, she has collected nearly 1,700 pounds of clothing!

“I feel happy that I’m giving things to people in need,” said Phoebe.

We feel happy – and grateful – to have the support of these young philanthropists!

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