By KATHRYN BERMINGHAM
IT SHOULD have been a fun night looking at Christmas lights in the city, but something troubled 11-year-old Hollie Chester as she stepped out in Melbourne recently.
“We were watching the light show and I looked down at her and she was just crying,” Hollie’s mum Anthea said of their recent night out.
Troubled by the number of homeless people sleeping on the streets, the Pakenham Springs Primary School student wanted to do something to help.
“We went across to McDonald’s and she saved half of her nuggets to give to them, but I told her we’d do something else,” Anthea said.
After undertaking some research online, Anthea set Hollie up with a fundraising page to buy swags to be donated.
After initially setting a target of $700 over 10 weeks, Hollie was thrilled with the news that she had raised $1372 in the first 24 hours alone.
She’s now raised her target to $2000, which will buy 20 swags, and intends to up her target again as the figure grows.
As well as promoting the campaign at school and on social media, Hollie was encouraged to find other ways to help.
“She got home from school and started making a list of fundraising ideas,” Anthea said.
“Selling chocolates will be her next step, and in the new year she hopes to buy a swag and plans to sleep in the swag on the concrete with only water and some jelly beans.”
Anthea said she was proud of her daughter but wasn’t surprised that she had decided to take on such a venture.
“She’s always been really generous,” she said.
To donate to Hollie’s Swags for Homeless Appeal, visit www.swagsforhomess.everydayhero.com/au/hollie#/
