10-year-old celebrates birthday by giving back to kids in her community

BRAZIL, Ind. (WTHI) – Athena Johnson is happy to be 10 years old. Her birthday was last weekend.

“It’s exciting, I’m a double-digit,” she said.

Of course, in true 10-year-old fashion, she had a party to celebrate. However, Johnson had plans of sharing her big day with someone else.

“Some children, they don’t get as much as other children do,” she said.

So instead of birthday presents, Johnson asked for food donations.

“I got a whole big tote of food and my aunt brought in about $40, $50,” she said.

On Wednesday night, Athena and her family dropped off the donations to First Baptist Church. That’s where volunteers were assembling and sorting bags for the Weekend Backpack Program.

“We’re feeding kids, what better thing you could have than a child helping feed kids that need it?” said volunteer Lisa Beyers. “They know what goes on, sadly they know it goes it on, that those are their peers, their friends at school possibly. It shows the compassion they already have to serve their community.”

The Weekend Backpack Program is an extension of Clay County’s Summer Youth Food Program. Organizers saw a need that went beyond summer vacation. Now servicing more schools, their mission to feed hungry children every weekend is only getting bigger.

“They understand that if we all work together, it’s a small job if everybody works together,” Beyers said, “It just takes many hands and it makes light work.”

Those hands come in all sizes, like 10-year-old Athena’s.

“It feels good because other kids need it more than I do, they need all this food,” she said.

Athena isn’t the only one giving the gift of kindness to others. Organizers say another child, named Peyton, also asked for donations instead of birthday presents to give to the program recently.

Volunteers meet every Wednesday, around 6:30 p.m., at First Baptist Church to bring donations and assemble bags. To learn more about the group and to stay updated, visit their Facebook page.