Humanity is a great thing to witness, and in this world, there is always a need for acts of compassion. Adults typically take the initiative and are generous, and children are usually the ones with spades of it as the world’s vices have not corrupted them.
Back in 2017, a five-year-old girl named Sunshine Oelfke from Ishpeming, Michigan demonstrated kindness and started a chain of good without meaning to.
Sunshine was a little girl who resided with her grandma Jackie Oelfke since Sunshine’s mother was a drug addict who frequently visited the jail and had no time to take care of her young daughter. Jackie took on that job as best she could by parenting Sunshine with love and care and instilling in her the belief that she can achieve anything she sets her mind to.
One day, she saw her granddaughter empty her piggy bank onto the floor of their living room, and she immediately began counting. Jackie was perplexed as she watched Sunshine meticulously stack the nickels, pennies, and dime stacks, after seeing what happened, Jackie sat down with her granddaughter and began totaling up the cash.
Jackie suspected that Sunshine was planning on spending the money on something she had recently seen after they had finished counting. The concerned grandmother asked her what was so important that she would waste all the money she worked so hard to save since the child had been saving up for a snowmobile. Jackie Oelfke asked her granddaughter, “What are you doing with that money?”
“I’m taking it to school. I’m going to take it for milk money. I’m taking it for my friend Layla. She doesn’t get milk — her mom doesn’t have milk money and I do,” Sunshine replied.
Her heart was warmed by the reaction, but it also sank with sadness for the girl her grandchild was mentioning. Sunshine has experienced the trauma of her own, despite being a kind and empathetic youngster. Jackie said that the mother of the child is a drug user who has spent time in and out of jail. “She’s going to have enough issues growing up with this. I’ve never told her she can’t do something, and I didn’t want to start now,” Oelfke said.
Jackie was aware of Sunshine’s intentions and decided not to interfere with them because she never wanted to tell Sunshine she couldn’t achieve something.
They later went to the school together, and right before Jackie, Sunshine handed the $30 over to her teacher, Rita Hausher, from Birchview Elementary School.
Since each carton costs $0.45, the total for the class equals $180 per month. Jackie was informed by the teacher that about half of the students don’t receive milk every day.
Jackie posted an emotional video on social media describing the situation after becoming distraught at the idea of her children going without and realizing she couldn’t afford that amount each month. Amazingly, thousands of social media users were moved by her cries, and funds soon poured in.
A GoFundMe account created by Jackie Oelfke brought in more than $1,000 in just the first week. They had risen over $19,000 for the school’s milk fund, by the time the fundraiser had finished.
Sunshine was the happiest girl on earth, and as soon as she could, she told her granny that her whole class, including her friend, Layla, had gotten milk.
“Guess what! My whole class got milk today, Layla now has milk money,” Sunshine proudly told her grandma.
According to Jackie, the little girl did not see what a big deal her action was as she had only been trying to help her friends.
“She doesn’t understand the impact she’s made. But now she knows she can do whatever she puts her mind to,” Jackie said.
Sunshine may have an uneasy life ahead of her because of her troubled family background; however, everybody hopes that her big heart and kindness never get tainted. Here is proof that one good act can trigger a dozen others.
Sources: TapHaps, Daytondailynews, WXYZ