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We find ourselves circling back to the brainchild of a non-profit with the young angel, Angelina BensonKennedy
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Angelina: an angel with a heart
Angelina Benson-Kennedy sits in her living room with a halo of brightly colored paper chains hanging behind her couch. It seems appropriate, seeing as she was the spark that started the formation of a nonprofit known as Angels with Heart.
The thirteen-year-old attends school in Forest Ranch and loves to create art, both at home and at school. During our interview, she eagerly rushed off to get some of her creations to share. The first was a soft, pastel-colored grouping of crayon and marker drawings glued to a tri-fold cardboard display, and the second was a vibrant geometric design with a vintage truck at the edge of the board. Angelina’s pride and joy in her displays is heartwarming, and her grin is infectious.
She also loves to play UNO, Monopoly, and other board games, or just simply hang out with her younger brother.
Her aptitude for sharing carried over into the inception of Angels with Heart. When asked how it started, Angelina says, “I just wanted to help people.” She and her seven-year-old brother, Matthew, develop the ideas for fundraisers or food donations to help the community and then, her mom, Francean, and the other adults who work with the nonprofit, help to set them into action. Over Valentine’s weekend, they set up at the Chico Public Library and served a luncheon featuring Angelina’s menu of chili, cornbread, chocolate cake, and peach cobbler to the homeless.
Savemart and Children’s Hope currently sponsor the non-profit group. The goods and services that Savemart donates help to make Angelina’s dream of helping others a reality. Children’s Hope donated a plethora of toys for their upcoming Easter gifting. Angelina and her brother will soon begin filling donated baskets with treats and toys to distribute this spring to those in need here in Chico and Oroville.
When asked what she enjoys most about being part of Angels with Heart, she says, “It just makes me feel good to help others.”
Be sure to visit their webpage at www.angelswithheart.com or look them up on Facebook to see what Angelina’s vision has created next.
