COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (ANS) — 10-year-old Molly Harper is described as compassionate and kindhearted by those closest to her. They know her as the little girl with the infectious smile.
Molly loves to draw — and she also loves to listen to music on her favorite radio station in Dallas, 94.9 FM KLTY.
“It is a good radio station and I love listening to good Christian music,” Molly said.
“I love listening to all the people talk, and my favorite person is Starlene. My favorite time to listen is when Frank, Starlene and Hudson are on together.”
So, during March, while Food For The Poor was airing its radio campaign Give Food, Give Hope, Give Life in Dallas, Molly was listening.
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Motivated by what she heard, she asked her mom to call the radio station. Live on-air, Molly expressed her deep concerns about kids not having clean water and said she was going to do something to help.
“In our family, we work to reinforce the culture of giving and being aware of others’ struggles and needs, and she does this naturally,” said Molly’s mother, Anna Harper.
“When we provide these opportunities to our children, it is amazing to watch their tender hearts be interested in the need and offer up their ideas for how to help and support people close to home and far away,” Harper said.
Molly got to work and came up with an idea to make her promise a reality. She decided that instead of receiving gifts for her 10th birthday, she would accept donations to help her cause with Food For The Poor.
With her parents, Anna Harper, who’s also a foster mom, works with a nonprofit that supports improving healthcare for kids and adults abroad, and Andrew Harper, who’s an executive creative director, they decided to create a Champions page on FFTP’s website where friends and family could make online donations to fulfill Molly’s birthday wish.
“You teach your kids to love others, but you never expect for them to teach you so much about what it means to really love others,” Andrew Harper said.
“Molly genuinely thinks about other people first and has shown me how to unconditionally show compassion for others. I’m so proud of her and hope she never loses her joy of giving.”
Thanks to her joyful generosity, Molly has exceeded her goal of $625. Her donation will feed several families for a month, give a soccer ball to a child in need, and provide a community in Honduras with a water pump for a well, which is the gift she believes will make the greatest impact.
“A water well can pop up in someone’s village, so they don’t have to walk an entire day to get a bucket of water that spills along the way,” Molly said. “They can walk to a well that is in the center of the town.”
Even Molly’s seven-year-old brother expressed how he feels about her desire to help others.
“I’m proud of my sister,” Davis said.
When Angel Aloma, Food For The Poor Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, heard about the little girl who wanted to help others after hearing about the charity’s work on the radio, he sent Molly a dozen of his homemade cookies and a thank you note.
“We love and appreciate all of our FFTP donors, but there’s something that is indescribably precious when a child is motivated to help others and not expect anything in return,” Aloma said.
“It’s truly amazing what young people can do when they really set their mind to it. The need in the countries where FFTP serves are so great. Molly’s gift of a soccer ball, food for families and a water pump are priceless gifts that will do wonders for children in need.”
The author of this story, Michael Ireland, is a self-supported media missionary with ANS. Click here to support him as a missionary journalist.
