A group of five children has shown that when hearts are big, age doesn’t matter. In the past year, they have collectively raised over $5,000 for Children’s Society by selling homemade gift cards and sticker labels.
Sarah, 12, spearheaded Project Kids for Kids in November 2020, inspired to raise funds for the Society, which she had first learned about in kindergarten. She roped in her younger sister Grace, 9, and friends Declan, 6, Celeste, 9, and Claire, 11. Drawing inspiration from their daily lives and things they saw on the internet, they created cards and stickers that they sold to friends and family.
Sarah says she wanted to be able to help other children, so Children’s Society was the perfect charity to raise money for. “We also made a video to tell everyone about the inspiration behind our designs,” she says. The video, which their parents helped to circulate, also had an introduction to the Society’s work.
Age aside, they hit several roadblocks, including the pandemic. The original idea was to turn their drawings into wrapping paper, but COVID-19 restrictions made it hard to sell them anywhere. Wrapping paper would also have been too difficult to post without risking damage, explains Grace.
The decision to make cards and stickers ultimately turned out to be a good one: in just five months, the five ended up far exceeding their initial target of $2,000.
It was a big lesson on how no contribution is too small, the children say.
“I get $2 a day for pocket money on school days, so when you think about it that way, we raised enough for someone to get more than 12 years of pocket money,” says Celeste.
Claire, Celeste and Declan, who are siblings and swimmers, also reached out to their swim mates and their families, and were met with much generosity.
“It was during the Christmas season, and many of them used the cards and stickers as presents for their parents,” adds Declan.
The trio were encouraged by their grandmother, who made a purchase herself before she passed away in March 2021. “She was very proud of all of us, and would have been amazed at the amount we raised,” says Claire, the eldest of the three.
On behalf of Children’s Society, thank you Project Kids for Kids for your support, and for helping to bring happiness and relief to children, youth and families in need.
Inspired by these young fundraisers? You, too, can organise a fundraising initiative for the beneficiaries whom Singapore Children’s Society cares for. Drop us an email at frdda@childrensociety.org.sg to find out how.