HOUSTON — A Houston girl who helped out after Hurricane Harvey is back again.
Lily DuBose helped donate so many toys to kids after Harvey that she now has her own nonprofit organization. The kids she wants to help now are the ones she feels are being most affected by the coronavirus emergency.
It was a simple idea that started with an 8-year-old.
Lily was hiding in her closet with her mom during Hurricane Harvey when she decided she wanted to donate her toys to people who she thought could use them more than her.
She did that, and then some.
Lily collected thousands of toys and donated them to kids who lost theirs in the flood.
“Toys are really important because they entertain us as kids," Lily said.
Today, Lily is 11 and her desire to help has only grown.
“The kids are really sad right now because they don’t get to see their parents," Lily said.
Over the years, she’s continued to donate toys through what became her nonprofit, Lily’s Toy Box.
Now, she wants to give those toys to the children of medical workers and first responders.
“If my mom or dad were a doctor, I would be sad because then I wouldn’t see them any time of the day or maybe a long time," Lily said.
She hopes her toys may make them feel a little better.
“They send us what they like, so we search up good things for them, and we send them in the mail so they can get them at their house," Lily said.
The best part is anyone can nominate a child. Just go online to Lily’s website and fill out this form.
If the child's parent is a medical worker or first responder, Lily will send them a toy.
While Hurricane Harvey was more of a local response, DuBose says this time they want to help everyone.
“Harvey was more of our neighborhood and Houston, but the coronavirus is worldwide. Unfortunately, we can't ship across borders, but we can do different states," DuBose said.
Seeing the kids play with their new toys is Lily’s favorite part.
“My stomach drops because I feel so happy when they send us notes. We love it when that happens," Lily said.
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