11-Year-Old Sews 500 Bags, Fills Them With Presents For Children In Need
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- For parents and their children spending the holidays at a homeless shelter, hope can feel so distant.
So a gifted 11-year-old girl set out to change that, proving to all that a little kindness can make a big difference.
"I've been doing charity work since I was 7 years old and I always wanted to learn how to sew," said Sanya Pirani.
And sew she did.
Sanya learned how to create hand-crafted fabric bags with shoulder straps from the donated samples at local fabric stores.
But Sanya's vision goes far beyond just sewing bags. She and her supporters then fill each of them with gifts to give to children that have so little.
"As a 6th grader, imagine how inspiring it is to see someone who cares about others." said Joe Vaughan, the head of the Scott-Carver-Dakota Community Action Partnership. "And she lives that example every day."
Most girls her age are hanging with friends. But Sanya is drawn to those without.
Last spring, she organized a collection of hundreds of cartons of disposable diapers to give to needy mothers. She's also used her charity to collect donations to fund area food shelves.
But on Tuesday came her largest gift giveaway to date. She and several friends handed out the fabric bags to the children housed at Sharing and Caring Hands in Minneapolis.
The 500 hand-sewn bags were each filled with donated presents, books and school supplies.
"I have an urge to help those people because we should all be treated equally," Sanya said.
He has an unselfish urge to help others – an urge that comes from the heart.
"If you feel you want to help people, don't give up to yourself, because a lot of people are so happy even if you donate just a penny," Sirani added.
Sanya set up her own nonprofit organization, Sanya's Hope for Children. Its mission is to help impoverished children locally and around the world.