“We can’t always give them money,” her mother said. “We don’t have it.”
This week, Abby, 10, took some of the money she received for Christmas and purchased blankets and food for the homeless. She dropped the items off at the Middletown police station and hopes officers hand out the blankets and food when they see someone on the streets.
“It’s cold out there,” Abby said when asked why she bought six blankets instead of a gift for herself. “It makes me sad when I see them.”
Her mother said she cried when Abby said she wanted to spend her Christmas money to help the less fortunate.
“She has a good heart,” her mother said.
The police department posted a picture of Abby holding the blankets on its Facebook page. The post has received more than 50 comments and 700 likes.
Heather Keal, in her sixth-year as Mayfield principal, thanked Abby for her generosity during a one-on-one conversation Monday afternoon. Abby also received a “building shoutout,” a way the school recognizes good deeds from students.
“We like to keep the positivity flowing here at Mayfield,” Keal said. “Abby is a very kind-hearted person. She has empathy for others.”
Keal said Abby, a member of student council, always participates in service projects at the school and makes cards for her teachers.
“This doesn’t surprise me,” she said. “This is who Abby is.”
Because of their financial situations, many of the Mayfield students are on the “receiving end” of assistance, Keal said. But those same students are the first to give when someone in the community needs help, she said.
“They have really big hearts,” she said. “They will give so much.”
About the Author
