When Leah Philips planned her eighth birthday party, she did not have Migros Aid in mind or the numerous refugee and immigrant children in Indianapolis who were about to enter winter without any gloves and hats.“She wanted to invite her entire class to her party plus several other friends,” Amanda, Leah’s mother, tells. “We did not need or want 25-30 additional gifts right before Christmas.” Amanda encouraged Leah to think outside the box.
Together, they agreed that in lieu of gifts they would collect gloves and hats. They didn’t yet know where they would go — only that they would be donated to kids in need. Leah’s friends and their parents were very enthusiastic. “Several of the attendees brought fairly large size gift bags full of gloves and hats,” Amanda recalls.
A few days after the party, they hadn’t yet decided where to donate the items, when an email from arrived in Amanda’s inbox. Migros Aid requested 30 hats and gloves to pass out to refugee children before winter break who live on the west side of Indianapolis. These 30 kids from around the world are involved in weekly mentoring and tutoring programs done by Migros Aid.
As Leah and Amanda counted the gloves and hats, they realized their donation was almost exactly 30 pairs of gloves and 30 winter hats, with equal amounts of girls’ and boys’ styles. ““That is so cool, Mom, I want to donate to help those kids stay warm,” Leah said.
“At eight she wasn’t super excited to give up her birthday gifts,” Amanda recalls. “But once she said yes, saw all her friends donations, and then saw that God already had a plan for them, it was exciting for her. I think it taught her that sometimes you have to give something up, and even if you don’t have an exact plan your desire to be obedient is blessed by God’s perfect plan.”
And I am sure that the 30 refugee children who had warm hats and gloves in time for the arctic blast would agree with Leah and her mother.
Story by:
Monica Tatera, January 22, 2018
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