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Oakland Press
April 27 2012
4-year-old White Lake girl's birthday wish: To send boots to orphans
in Armenia WITH VIDEO
Published: Friday, April 27, 2012
By MONICA DRAKE
For her fifth birthday, Mia Dalbis decided she doesn't want any
presents from her friends and family.
Instead of presents for herself, the White Lake Township girl is
asking people to donate winter boots to orphans in Armenia.
`I saw a little girl on TV that decided to deliver boots to an
orphanage. I thought maybe I could do that because we both have lots
of stuff already,' said Mia.
Mia said it made her sad when she heard some kids don't have parents.
Her mom Debbie Dalbis said when her daughter first said she wanted to
give up her birthday presents after watching a show on the Disney
Channel, she wasn't sure if she was serious.
`She's young, so I wasn't sure if she understood the concept of giving
up her birthday. But she kept on asking and asking,' said Debbie.
`When she told me, `I have more than enough; I have a mommy and daddy,
I have lots of shoes and tons of toys,' I told her, `Let's do it
then.''
Mia's birthday is May 16, and she is asking everyone who attends her
birthday party to bring a pair of youth-size new winter boots for
infants through 16 year olds. So far, Mia's family and teachers at her
daycare have donated 60 pairs of winter boots to send to Armenia.
Mia's dad Nick said, `We're so proud of her. She has lots of things,
and if she's willing to accept presents for someone else, that's great
... Our kids ask `What color pair of boots do I wear today?' There are
kids who don't have any.'
In deciding what country to donate the boots to, Debbie helped Mia
pick Armenia because it's part of their heritage, and more than 1,200
orphans live in 15 orphanages throughout the country. The facilities
provide the children's basic needs of food and clothing, but they
cannot keep up with the ongoing need for shoes for all the children.
Continued...
12See Full Story
The family will be donating all of the boots to the nonprofit
organization Share-a-pair. For a donation of $10, Share-a-pair is able
to purchase one quality pair of shoes.
`The kids walk to school, and their shoes have holes in them,' said
Debbie. `When I was looking on the Internet, shoes for orphans is one
of the biggest needs they have. People donate food and even regular
clothes. But shoes are in great need in general because they outgrow
them. It's not like we can fill the demand one time.'
On Friday morning, Mia made a presentation in front of her daycare
class at Wee Friends Child Care, located at 105 E. Ruggles St., in
Highland, showing them a video of the orphans in Armenia who will
receive the boots.
Janet Dipiazza, one of Mia's teachers, said, `When the students were
watching the video, I was trying to show them that these kids look
like them, could be them. Yet, they have so much, and these children
don't,' said Dipiazza. `We have all these boots from just one little
girl's idea.'
Laura Palmer, the owner of Wee Friends Child Care, sent a letter out
to all the parents last week to tell them about what Mia is doing and
to ask them to donate a pair of boots as well. Debbie said their goal
is to donate 300 pairs of boots to Armenia.
Wee Friends Child Care teacher Jessica Warren said she was very
impressed when she heard about what Mia is doing.
`It makes me want to cry that she has a big heart like that,' said
Warren. `You don't think kids think about stuff like that, but they
do. They're more aware than we think they are. I think that's a really
unselfish thing to do.'
Contact Monica Drake at 248-745-4687 or email her at
[email protected]. Find her on Twitter @monica_adele.
FYI
To donate a pair of boots for Mia Dalbis' birthday to send to orphans
in Armenia, send them to Suburban Landscape Supply 960 Ladd Road,
Walled Lake, MI 48390 by May 19. To send $10 to Share-a-pair for the
organization to purchase a pair of shoes, send a check to The Paros
Foundation, 918 Parker St., A14, Berkeley, CA 94710 or visit
paros-foundation.org/shareapair.
http://www.theoaklandpress.com/articles/2012/04/27/news/local_news/doc4f9b12a93ed82022008974.txt
From: Baghdasarian
April 27 2012
4-year-old White Lake girl's birthday wish: To send boots to orphans
in Armenia WITH VIDEO
Published: Friday, April 27, 2012
By MONICA DRAKE
For her fifth birthday, Mia Dalbis decided she doesn't want any
presents from her friends and family.
Instead of presents for herself, the White Lake Township girl is
asking people to donate winter boots to orphans in Armenia.
`I saw a little girl on TV that decided to deliver boots to an
orphanage. I thought maybe I could do that because we both have lots
of stuff already,' said Mia.
Mia said it made her sad when she heard some kids don't have parents.
Her mom Debbie Dalbis said when her daughter first said she wanted to
give up her birthday presents after watching a show on the Disney
Channel, she wasn't sure if she was serious.
`She's young, so I wasn't sure if she understood the concept of giving
up her birthday. But she kept on asking and asking,' said Debbie.
`When she told me, `I have more than enough; I have a mommy and daddy,
I have lots of shoes and tons of toys,' I told her, `Let's do it
then.''
Mia's birthday is May 16, and she is asking everyone who attends her
birthday party to bring a pair of youth-size new winter boots for
infants through 16 year olds. So far, Mia's family and teachers at her
daycare have donated 60 pairs of winter boots to send to Armenia.
Mia's dad Nick said, `We're so proud of her. She has lots of things,
and if she's willing to accept presents for someone else, that's great
... Our kids ask `What color pair of boots do I wear today?' There are
kids who don't have any.'
In deciding what country to donate the boots to, Debbie helped Mia
pick Armenia because it's part of their heritage, and more than 1,200
orphans live in 15 orphanages throughout the country. The facilities
provide the children's basic needs of food and clothing, but they
cannot keep up with the ongoing need for shoes for all the children.
Continued...
12See Full Story
The family will be donating all of the boots to the nonprofit
organization Share-a-pair. For a donation of $10, Share-a-pair is able
to purchase one quality pair of shoes.
`The kids walk to school, and their shoes have holes in them,' said
Debbie. `When I was looking on the Internet, shoes for orphans is one
of the biggest needs they have. People donate food and even regular
clothes. But shoes are in great need in general because they outgrow
them. It's not like we can fill the demand one time.'
On Friday morning, Mia made a presentation in front of her daycare
class at Wee Friends Child Care, located at 105 E. Ruggles St., in
Highland, showing them a video of the orphans in Armenia who will
receive the boots.
Janet Dipiazza, one of Mia's teachers, said, `When the students were
watching the video, I was trying to show them that these kids look
like them, could be them. Yet, they have so much, and these children
don't,' said Dipiazza. `We have all these boots from just one little
girl's idea.'
Laura Palmer, the owner of Wee Friends Child Care, sent a letter out
to all the parents last week to tell them about what Mia is doing and
to ask them to donate a pair of boots as well. Debbie said their goal
is to donate 300 pairs of boots to Armenia.
Wee Friends Child Care teacher Jessica Warren said she was very
impressed when she heard about what Mia is doing.
`It makes me want to cry that she has a big heart like that,' said
Warren. `You don't think kids think about stuff like that, but they
do. They're more aware than we think they are. I think that's a really
unselfish thing to do.'
Contact Monica Drake at 248-745-4687 or email her at
[email protected]. Find her on Twitter @monica_adele.
FYI
To donate a pair of boots for Mia Dalbis' birthday to send to orphans
in Armenia, send them to Suburban Landscape Supply 960 Ladd Road,
Walled Lake, MI 48390 by May 19. To send $10 to Share-a-pair for the
organization to purchase a pair of shoes, send a check to The Paros
Foundation, 918 Parker St., A14, Berkeley, CA 94710 or visit
paros-foundation.org/shareapair.
http://www.theoaklandpress.com/articles/2012/04/27/news/local_news/doc4f9b12a93ed82022008974.txt
From: Baghdasarian