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Turning 13 years old is a huge milestone in any girl’s life. Soona Aoki wanted to make 13th birthday celebration special.
Her parents always tell Soon and her siblings that they want to be a family that serves the world.
After discussing with her mother, an idea was born! They would make Soona’s birthday celebration a volunteer party.
Last year her family participated in GPW and Family Peace Association USA’s Giving Box campaign. They raised money to sponsor a holiday party for the orphans who live in the Peace Home in Nepal. The smiles on the photos that came in return and the “Thank you” letters stayed close to Soona’s heart.
One of Soona’s favorite things to do is beadwork. So she decided to combine what she loves doing with what she cared about to make her birthday project. She invited her friends over to make bracelets to sell at a fundraiser for the Peace Home in Nepal. Friends from school, her neighbors and childhood friends joined her as they came to celebrate her by serving together.
After sharing the cake, the girls sat down to make beautiful bracelets. Soona looked around and her heart was happy. Sitting around the table were Muslim, Christian girls of different national and cultural backgrounds working together for a greater good.
“Best birthday ever,” said a fulfilled Soona.
At GPW, we are inspired by how a young girl’s selfless action could motivate others in her community to come together and volunteer for a great cause. As Hellen Keller once said, “alone we can do so little; together we can do so much’ If you have such a Sunshine Family Volunteer story to share or your family wants to start such a project, email younshim.park@globalpeacewomen.org.