Many of us wish that we could do more for those around us, but simply don’t have the means.
Whether it be a lack of time, money, or resources, it can feel like we are not doing nearly enough.
But the truth is that even the smallest gesture of compassion can make a huge difference.
Jackie is the grandmother to young five-year-old Sunshine Oelfke.
For months, Sunshine had been saving pocket change in her piggy bank so she could save it for her future or buy herself something nice.
Recently, she’d decided to save up so she could buy a snowboard.
That’s why Jackie was so shocked when she saw little Sunshine emptying her funds!
First, Jackie wondered if the girl wanted to purchase something nice for herself, so she asked her about it.
But Sunshine’s answer was so touching and surprising that Jackie felt tears of joy well up in her eyes – and she knew she had to do something to support her selfless granddaughter’s actions.
So, what was the reason for Sunshine’s decision to break open her piggy bank?
She explained to Jackie that she was bringing milk money to her school. Jackie thought she’d gotten confused and explained that Sunshine’s milk money for the month was already paid for.
That’s when Sunshine explained the truth. Her friend couldn’t have any milk because her mom couldn’t afford milk money.
Jackie was so touched that she happily went along with Sunshine and brought money for the milk to her teacher in class.
She couldn’t help sharing this incident on Facebook, either, originally just thinking friends and family would see it and feel as proud of Sunshine as she.
But then the post began to gain traction, and before long, people all around the world were liking, sharing, and commenting on the post!
Although Sunshine’s actions had helped one of her friends, there were other classmates who didn’t have the money for milk, too.
So, seeing how many people wanted to help on Sunshine’s mission, Jackie set up a GoFundMe titled “Sunshine’s Milk Money Mission”, aiming to raise around $800 so Sunshine could buy milk for her whole class.
But people weren’t content with only providing $800.
Jackie and Sunshine raised almost $19,000 in total.
Unsure what to do with it, they wondered if they should purchase milk for the whole class for the rest of the year, but are now considering putting the funds to other charitable use.
As of now, they have not yet announced what the funds will be used for.
Thanks to Sunshine’s kindness, her classmates don’t have to worry about not being able to get milk at school.
It’s painful to see children suffering due to financial troubles at home, especially when it prevents them from having access to things that could ease their hunger.
If Sunshine’s story has proven anything, it’s that even just making a tiny first step in making a small difference in someone’s life can inspire generosity all over the world.