Student helps children’s home

Ten-year-old Sierra Endrzejewski had seen quite a few kids around who had been abandoned or mistreated. She’d asked her parents numerous times to adopt them. Her parents, who both work for Hernando County and have two children, suggested a way that she could help. Donate to an orphanage.

Sierra loved the idea and together with the help of her family and friends, she chose to help the 70-plus kids at the Hope Children’s Home in Tampa.

The Hope Children’s Home is Christian-based, receives no state or federal funding and is run strictly on donations. When they heard that Sierra wanted to help, they sent her a short video. It showed happy kids dancing around. Then they began talking about how they had come to live at the home because they had been abused or unwanted by their parents.

A donation party was set up where family and friends were asked to offer a donation. Sierra and her mom went to local businesses asking for donations that could be sold at the party. Most were happy to help and were thrilled to see a kid her age who wanted to do what she could to help.

The party was a success and donations poured in, and more donations were purchased with the funds that were raised. Baskets upon baskets of cleaning supplies, kitchen items, bathroom necessities, food and toys piled up and were ready to be taken to the home.

Sierra would like to make a special thank you to employees at the Hernando County Utilities Department who opened their hearts; to the Northcliffe Baptist Church teachers; to all of the local businesses for their generosity; and to all of her family and her friends who gave her the support she needed to make this happen.

Sierra is a yearly honor roll student and currently in fifth grade. A former competing gymnast, she now studies acrobatics at a local school and self-taught contortion. She has goals to be an accountant, psychiatrist or doctor.