YEAR 4 — 2022
What I Did:
Recycling Cans
Local Partner:
Friends of Foster Kids
What This Year Was About
8th Grade — Expanding My Recycling Efforts
In 8th grade, I continued recycling cans to raise money for Bag of Joy. This year, I expanded to five neighborhoods, which helped me raise even more. It felt good knowing I was helping the environment and helping kids at the same time — a total win-win!
How I Took Action
Shopping for Three Kids’ Wishlists
Friends of Foster Kids (FOFK) asked me to shop for three specific kids this year. I was so excited to pick out things that matched their wishlists. It felt really special knowing exactly who I was helping.
I used the money from recycling cans to buy items like journals, writing supplies, dolls, and fun extras that I hoped would make their Christmas brighter.
Giving Back to Our Local Partner
Friends of Foster Kids
I made sure to get everything on each child’s list. I kept imagining their faces when they opened their gifts, and that thought alone brought me so much joy.
When I delivered everything to Friends of Foster Kids, I felt proud, thankful, and excited — it’s an amazing feeling to know you helped make someone’s holiday special.
My JoyStory
Real Joy in 8th Grade
This year, I realized that joy doesn’t always come from something big. Sometimes it comes from small actions you do again and again, like recycling cans.
Helping three kids at once felt amazing. I loved knowing that my effort — collecting, sorting, returning cans, and then shopping — turned into gifts that would mean a lot.
It reminded me why I love Bag of Joy:
“Giving is the best feeling in the world.”
This year I am shopping for Board Games!
Hoping that these games spread a ton of joy