Community Corner

Kara Sheldon Finds Out It's Better to Give than Receive

For her sixth birthday, Kara Sheldon chose to receive shoes she could donate instead of birthday presents.

 

East Haven’s Kara Sheldon may only be six years old, but she is already making a big difference in the world. After seeing a report on TV about a child who had collected shoes to donate instead of receiving birthday presents in January, Kara decided she wanted to do the same for her birthday.

Her mom, Kristal Sheldon, revisited the idea in June as Kara’s birthday wasn’t until August and said that “she was still passionate about the idea.”

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“Her reasoning was that she has too many toys and that there are children in the world who do not even have mommies and daddies so she can give them something instead of getting presents,” said Kristal.

So with her birthday approaching, Kara requested that people bring a new pair of shoes instead of gifts. Her mom helped out as well, posting to her Facebook account and having friends help spread the word.

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The result? Kara collected 50 pairs of shoes to donate to Yale-New Haven Children's Hospital. According to Kristal, the shoes will be used in the toy closet for children who are brought in from emergency calls, domestic abuse cases and the pediatric oncology group.  

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