Birthday girl makes a wish for other kidsLOU HIRSH
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 Six-year-old Hannah Weinsheink of Scottsdale transformed her recent birthday party into a chance to collect presents for students at the Thomas J. Pappas School for homeless children in Phoenix. |
With the aid of her parents, Marianne and Jerry Weinsheink of Scottsdale, 6-year-old Hannah turned her birthday party last May into a way to collect clothing, toys and games for students at the Thomas J. Pappas School in Phoenix, which houses and educates homeless children.
"It was fun," the soft-spoken youngster says of the project.
Her mother, Marianne, says the idea took root one day in April of this year, after the kindergartner came home from classes at Gan Yeladeem
"During the ride home from the store, Hannah asked me if it was true that some kids do not even have a place to live," Marianne Weinsheink recalls. "We talked about the fact that there are many people who are not as fortunate as we are."
The food bank project took place about a month prior to Hannah's birthday. When mother and daughter began to talk about what Hannah wanted for her celebration, Marianne remembered that one of her cousins had thrown a party for his twins and requested that everyone bring a donation for the poor.
"I told Hannah all about the idea and let her think about it. The next day she told me that she would like a big party in our back yard, and she wanted all the kids to bring presents for homeless children."
The approximately 25 guests who came to the party (held a few days before Hannah's May 15 birthday) were generous with their donations, bringing brand-new art kits, clothing, coloring books, dolls, toys and games. After the event, Marianne called the Thomas J. Pappas School for homeless children in Phoenix and asked if the school would be interested in their donation.
"They were very pleased and invited us down for a tour of the facility."
Hannah had a chance to tour the school and was introduced to the kindergarten class of about 20 children. The entire class sang "Happy Birthday" to Hannah, and four gifts were selected from her donations to be given to children at the school with birthdays in June and July.
Ernalee Phelps, the Pappas school's resource development director, said she was pleased by Hannah's donation, but also amazed by the youngster's sense of self-sacrifice.
"I'm really impressed with what she did for the school, and I almost had to cringe, knowing how hard it must have been for this little 6-year-old to give up all those great presents," says Phelps.
Marianne Weinsheink says she's proud of her daughter for thinking of others, and hopes the rewards of her deeds will stay with her.
"I think she realizes now that not all kids have the things in their lives that she has in her life, and I think she's going to remember this for a long time."
