Snoqualmie Valley girl sacrifices birthday gifts to help others
March 24, 2009
By Laura Geggel
Annalise Jensen is the change she wants to see in the world.
For her eighth birthday party, the Opstad Elementary student asked her invited friends to bring non-perishable foods to her, in place of presents. Then, Annalise donated all of the items to the Mt Si Helping Hand Food Bank.
“Sometimes, when kids do things like this, it’s a good way for adults to think about what they’re doing,” said the food bank’s Executive Director, the Rev. Chuck Talburt.
This is hardly Annalise’s first foray into the world of charity. She and her mother donated their hair twice, first to Locks of Love and later to Wigs for Kids.
“At 5-years-old, she decided to give her own hair,” her mother Carrie Jensen said.
Annalise remembered the event well. She was terribly fond of her hair, which was so long it reached her elbows. When she and her mother reached the salon, she wasn’t sure if she was ready to give up her golden locks. But, she quickly decided that other people needed her hair more than she did, and allowed the stylist to lop off her tresses.
Three years later, Annalise was again ready to help more people. During the Christmas season, Carrie asked her what she would like.
“I’ve been talking with her about how she has so much stuff,” Carrie said.
Annalise said her friends were sponsoring children in other countries. She asked her mother if they could also sponsor a child, but Carrie said the $300 fee was too high for the family’s expenses.
When Annalise’s birthday rolled around March 1, Carrie again encouraged her to think of a gift that would not only benefit herself but also the greater community.
“She mulled it over for awhile,” Carrie said. “She said, ‘you know what, I want to do a food drive.’”
The almost 8-year-old had a connection with the Mt Si Helping Hand Food Bank.
“We used to go to the food bank and I wanted to give food to the people that we used to go to the food bank with,” Annalise said.
She wrote about her project on her birthday invitations for her pajama and pancake party.
“When my friends came to my house, the first thing they gave me was their food and then of course a hug. I felt so proud!” Annalise wrote in an essay. “They all seemed really excited about it too. We filled three medium boxes with all sorts of food. They were overflowing!”
Some of the girls brought Annalise a small gift, accompanying the donations.
“I sat back and noticed Annalise was more excited about the fact that the girls brought food,” Carrie said.
The mother and daughter duo later delivered the three boxes to the food bank.
“I was so proud of Annalise because she told the men what she had done and why we were there. They were impressed that a now 8-year-old would do this,” Carrie said.
She called Teri Raja, Annalise’s Opstad teacher. Raja was so impressed with Annalise’s project she asked her to write an essay about it for the class newsletter.
“Annalise is a sensitive and considerate child who thinks of others and gains a great deal of self-esteem from helping others, whether it is her friends, classmates or strangers,” Raja said. “We often feel that one person can’t make a difference, but Annalise has challenged that idea.”
Carrie said her daughter received the ultimate birthday present as the two drove home from the food bank. Her daughter turned to her and said, “Momma, I feel really good.”
Reach reporter Laura Geggel at 392-6434 .221 or lgeggel@snovalleystar.com.
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