Meet Francesca (Cha Cha)! She is kind, funny, and grateful.
During the recent storms that have plagued New England, Cha Cha’s family lost power in their home and evacuated to a nearby hotel. While they were staying there, her mother asked her how she wanted to celebrate her upcoming 11th birthday. Instead of focusing on the turbulent weather conditions or her own hardships, Cha Cha thought of those in need.
“I told my mom I did not want any presents and I wanted to make a donation to families not as fortunate as ours,” Cha Cha wrote. Struck by her daughter’s kindness, Cha Cha’s mother reached out to The B Fund to learn about fundraising opportunities. Using The B Fund’s fundraising platform, Cha Cha set up her own birthday fundraiser to help families caring for critically ill children.
Specifically, Cha Cha chose to devote her efforts to providing housing, since she realized how fortunate her own family was to have shelter during difficult conditions. Cha Cha learned that each week of patient family housing costs approximately $100, so she decided to raise enough for two weeks of housing.
“While we were in the hotel I realized how lucky I am never to worry about housing,” Cha Cha explained, “A family should only have to worry about their children getting well, not about where they are going to sleep and rest.”
As of the date of this posting, Cha Cha has almost tripled her fundraising goal, raising nearly $600! This will provide six weeks of patient family housing to a family or group of families.
To get to know Cha Cha better, we asked her for some fun facts:
- Her favorite color is purple.
- Her favorite food is strawberries.
- Her favorite movies include the Harry Potter movies, Narnia, and Pitch Perfect.
- Cha Cha loves to read! When asked about her favorite toy, she said books.
- Her favorite song is “Like I’m Gonna Lose You.”
- Cha Cha said that when she grows up, she wants to be happy. What a great answer!
Cha Cha is truly an inspiration for using her birthday to give back to those in need! Her fundraiser is a powerful reminder that we can always choose kindness and empathy, even when faced with hardships of our own.
If you or someone you know wants to set up your own birthday fundraiser, set up a page here!
Do you know someone who’s using their time, talents, and treasures to help those in need? Nominate them to be featured for our “Be Inspired” piece! Email us at info@thebfund.org for more information.