MUSKEGON HEIGHTS, Mich. — Giving Tuesday encourages people to give back however they can. A little girl with a big heart did just that, after collecting pop cans with the purpose of helping families for the holiday.
Six-year-old Reagan Hernandez had a great Thanksgiving. Not only did she indulge in some of her favorite foods, but she made sure others were able to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner with their families, too.
“So they have full bellies,” said Hernandez. “To make sure everybody has Thanksgiving dinner.”
She presented a $920 check to Mission for Area People in Muskegon Heights. The money was a product of collecting a lot of pop cans.
The organization has been around for 60 years helping neighbors in need. They used the money to make sure families had everything they needed to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner at home.
“We furnished a full Thanksgiving meal; the turkey, all the fixings, dressing potatoes, gravy, we supplied the foil and roaster pan,” explained Susan Simonson.
The organization was able to serve more than 50 families of four-to-five people. The money that was left over will be used to supply their healthy food pantry; giving families a week's worth of healthy meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It’s a need the organization says has grown.
“We have families whose food stamps were cut, and so they're not receiving as much as they were in the past,” said Simonson. “Everything has gotten so expensive that people are having a hard time eating healthy.”
Hernandez received a crown from the organization as a thank you. Next Summer, she plans to collect more pop cans to help puppies who don’t have homes. We’ll keep you posted on how you can help. In the meantime, you can donate to MAP here.
