While Mia DeRose, like most 10-year-olds, is looking forward to Christmas, she is smiling not at thought of the gifts that may await her under the tree, but rather the joy she will have brought to others.
The Thorold girl decided she didn’t want to see other children to not find a new toy under the tree for the holidays, so since last March she saved the money she made from her bracelet-making (and more) business – CL Looms – and purchased toys for children who may otherwise go without.
“I did it throughout the year,” the youngster said. “Anytime I would see a toy, I thought that the kids would like, I’d get it.”
Mia’s mom, Sera, wasn’t quite sure what to make of it at first.
“She had a big box in her closet for the longest time, she was just filling it up with toys. And I kept on saying, what are you doing? (She) said it’s for the kids and I said, okay, let's find a charity, because it was just overflowing.”
Mia got the idea from the Angel Tree initiative in the United States – Pelham Cares did something similar where it placed tags with gifts for children on its clients’ wish list – and thought it’d be nice to do something like that here and the toy shopping began. As a result, she wound up collecting enough toys to fill two garbage bags with dolls, colouring books, stuffed animals and more.
“It was really, really fun to do the shopping,” Mia said.
When it came time to decide where she would donate the toys, she thought about it for some time. But it was during a trip to the Meridian Community Centre, where she plays basketball, that she saw the barrels set up in the atrium in preparation for the Pelham Cares Christmas food drive that took place from Dec. 6 to 8, when it all came together in her mind.
“So, I decided I'm just going to buy toys and donate them the Pelham Cares,” she said matter of factly.
Sera said her daughter had thought about donating the toys to a Niagara Falls charity but decided to stick closer to home, which is Thorold.
“She was trying to find a place to donate these toys, like a toy drive or something,” Sera said. “And then when she went for basketball, and she knows, around Christmas time, they brought out the bins. She's like, okay, mom, I know where I want to donate.”
Pelham Cares Executive Director Gayle Sears welcomed the donation.
"We have greatly appreciated all of the toy donations that we have received this year," she said. "It is especially meaningful when the children pick out and give the toys. Who would know better what kids like, than kids themselves."
More information about Mia’s business can be found here.
