Young hearts, big impact

Giving back doesn’t have to include a big check. Sometimes, the pool begins with $20 plus change. The spark might be a handmade keychain or piece of artwork. Maybe the genesis is a first birthday party or a PowerPoint pitch.

Often, giving back starts with a simple idea: What if we did something to help?

These young fundraisers aren’t waiting until they’re older to make a difference. They’re crafting, building a case for their favorite cause, turning a sports bracket into a fundraiser or transforming gratitude for their care into a way to support someone else.

Their gifts look different, but the heart behind them is the same: They’re determined to make things a little more incredible for the next kid.

Meet our young philanthropists who have already learned that you don’t have to have a lot to give a lot.

Amelia, 12, and Emily, 13: Making a difference, one keychain at a time

Amelia and Emily have turned their dining table into a homebase for crafting. Together, the sisters spend afternoons stringing bracelets and necklaces, molding clay into sculptures and turning paper into a canvas for colorful drawings.

But when they wanted to give back to the place that has cared for them since they were babies, they landed on something a little more entrepreneurial: an Etsy shop selling handmade keychains.

The sisters started their shop, Lilly and Kat — a combination of their middle names — in March. Each month, they pick a different nonprofit to support through a portion of their sales. Already, the sisters have donated about $200 to Children’s Health, and with their online fundraiser shop, they’ve reached people beyond their neighborhood.

Their keychains are colorful and customizable, with designs ranging from initials to college-themed creations. And they bring different styles to the work, too. Emily likes patterns. Amelia, a Children’s Health Patient Ambassador, describes her designs as “whimsical.”

Together, they’ve found that their differences work pretty well.

Now, the shop has become more than a way to raise money. The business has given them a chance to work together toward something they care about: helping other kids receive access to the same life-changing medical care. The kind of care that’s given Amelia the ability to walk without braces – something doctors thought as a baby she’d never be able to do.

“I want other kids to have the same hope and same support. I want other kids to be able to do whatever they want to do and just be a kid again,” Amelia said. “Children’s Health completely changed my life. I want that for other kids – I want their lives to be changed.”