The call for helping Haiti has been answered by people of all ages all around the world, including eight-year-old Hana Horiuchi of Hollis Hills.
Hana decided to help when she heard the news about the earthquake and how many people had lost their families. She said that it made her feel sad knowing that “some babies don’t have any families.”
“I decided to raise money for Haiti,” Hana said.
Hana created what she called a “Bag of Hope.” In it, she included a letter she wrote. It said:
“Dear Haiti, Here is some money and a bag of hope. I am praying for you every night. Remember there always is hope! Very soon everything will be fixed. Love, Hana”
Included in the bag of hope was also all of the money from Hana’s piggy bank, which was about $18.
However, the fundraising effort went far beyond $18. After seeing the letter, Hana’s mother, Malini, sent a copy to the principal at her daughter’s school, P.S. 188. The school also adopted the “Bag of Hope” as a fundraiser idea too.
Malini explained that each student was given a Ziploc bag that they filled with money and brought back to the school. In the end, Malini said the school raised about $3,300, which was donated to the Red Cross.
The Horiuchi family also took their own fundraising a step further. Hana and her seven-year-old sister, Risa, continued with the efforts through a web site set up to encourage donations to UNICEF.
Although they set an initial goal of raising $1,000 through the site, which was created just a couple days after the earthquake, they have already raised a little more than $2,000.
Malini said that the reason she and her husband, Yozo, showed their daughters what was going on with Haiti is because they feel it is important for them to know what’s going on in the world.
“I think awareness is so important,” she said. “I think it’s so easy just to live within your own world and I think children must be exposed to life outside their own four walls.”
She also said they wanted to show the girls that they can and should help other people.
“This is the time for them to realize [the importance of helping others],” Malini said. “I think you have to start them young so that it becomes a part of their life.”
Yozo said, “You want to have the children take one more step.” Instead of having them see something and say that’s wrong, he said that you want the reaction to be that a person says it’s wrong but then does something about it.
“If people did that, I think it makes a big difference,” he said.
Malini said that, although this grew into something bigger, it still shows what an impact an individual can make.
“I think it’s really wonderful to know that one person can make a difference,” Malini said.
Hana said that she did not think her “Bag of Hope” would turn into anything so big but that it feels good to have started these fundraising efforts. Risa said that she felt happy to be able to raise money and help.
Hana also said “thank you” to everyone who has donated so far.
Anyone interested in making donations can still do so by visiting www.abagofhope.net.
