Siblings bring community together to help kids and families experiencing homelessness
Annie wanted to help babies. A simple thought from a kid who wasn’t much older than a baby herself has become a community wide effort to help Horizons families. Annie grew up learning from her older sister Caroline’s resourcefulness and after watching her try her hand at entrepreneurship, she decided she wanted to do it too. She created a business called, Made by Heart, where she sells friendship bracelets and other crafts to raise money for families in need.
She started small by selling her bracelets to family and friends. One such friend was P.L.A.Y. Network chair, Gigi Flynn. When she heard about Annie’s plans, she immediately connected Annie and Horizons’ aligning mission – to help babies and families in need. They used the money Annie raised to buy some diapers to donate to Horizons’ Early Education Center. After seeing the center and learning more about the organization, the whole family was inspired to get involved in Annie’s operation.
They decided to go bigger. They hosted an arts and crafts sale in the neighborhood. “[Annie and her siblings] made flyers and went door to door to every house in the neighborhood to invite them over to the sale,” Annie’s mom Cara told us. Annie also got her whole class involved in making bracelets and paintings to make sure they had enough crafts to sell. Her class even came to the neighborhood and helped run the sale. The sale was a huge success, so the next year, they hosted another sale which was even more successful than the last.
The experience has been extremely formative for the three siblings who were able to get an inside look at Horizons’ center thanks to their generous donations. “They went to camp that afternoon and told all their friends [about Horizons]… they’re really growing more and more interested in in giving back to their community.”
When asked what Cara and Annie have planned for this project down the line, Cara said, “Sincerely, I go back to Annie’s opening mission, to help the babies. I do hope that impact is felt within your organization. I think that everyone can help in some way. I hope it certainly inspired others around us in our community to help your mission.”
Learn more about how to host a drive or fundraiser, here. If you are interested in hosting a drive or fundraiser on
Horizons behalf, please reach out to Katherine Delaney-Rodriguez at kdelaneyrodriguez@horizonschildren.org
for assistance and coordination.
