This summer, as Liz’s 10th birthday neared, she told her mom she didn’t want the focus to be on herself.
She still wanted to have a party and invite her friends. She just wanted the focus of her birthday to be about helping others in need.
“I don’t want to receive any gifts this year,” she explained. “Instead, I’d like everyone who comes to the party to bring clothes for kids whose parents can’t afford to get them new clothes for school.”
“I know there’s just too many people in need,” she added. “And I want to be able to help in some small way.”
So in lieu of receiving gifts for herself, Liz Corkran, who is now a fifth grader at McGalliard Elementary School in Hamilton, coordinated a clothing drive for the Rescue Mission of Trenton.
The invitation for her party — which was held at Hamilton United Martial Arts Academy, where Liz is a senior blue belt in TaeKwonDo — read: Bring your presence, not presents.
When she saw all the coats, jackets, shoes, boots, dresses, blouses, pants and shirts that her friends brought to the party, and combined them with those she had brought as well, Liz said, “I felt warm inside, nice and kind, like I was doing something that could make a difference.” Smiling, she added, “Then, when my mom and I gave the donations to The Mission, it felt 10 times better.”
Reflecting, she added: “It makes me feel bad knowing that someone does not have enough clothes or that they go to bed hungry. Knowing that we helped someone who was struggling…there is no gift that could have topped that.”
It took several SUVs to bring all the clothes to The Mission.
What did her friends say about her unique request for her party? “They thought it was cool,” she replied.
Were there any gifts that she wanted for herself this year? “I would have liked a pair of earrings. But this was more important.” She paused, then added, “Much more important.”
This story originally appeared in The Quarterly, the Rescue Mission of Trenton’s newsletter.
