8 minute read
Bella’s Boxes
10-Year-Old Bella Potts Thinks Outside the Box and Opens the Community’s Heart
From a very young age, 10-year-old Bella Potts of Carrollton loved helping people.
In pre-K, she became involved with Seek. Accept. Love. Transform. (SALT) Outreach and volunteered with them at a nursing home. One month they handed out roses on Valentine’s Day, and once they made non-slip socks to give to the residents.
In kindergarten, Bella joined the Girl Scouts (Troop 50014), which fostered her passion for community service. One year, they collected donations to fill Christmas stockings for the cats and dogs at the animal shelter.
“We went to the animal shelter and gave the stockings to them,” Bella recalls. “It was fun.”
When she was 7, Bella left a $20 tip for a server at Olive Garden who was working three jobs to support his family. She had received the $20 earlier that morning as a gift from a couple she and her mom –Amaris Potts – met at Waffle House.
But Bella thought the server needed it more. As the years passed, Bella’s interest in helping others grew, and she wanted to do more. So, in 2019, the bright and determined Central Elementary School student came up with an idea.
She wanted to start a nonprofit that provides care packages to local kids in need. That idea eventually blossomed into Bella’s Boxes.
Curated With Care
“And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”
– Hebrews 13:16 NIV
To turn her idea into reality, she and her mom got to work.
In 2020, they came up with a name, and Amaris hired a designer to create a logo.
“The designer drew three or four logo options,” she recalls. “I printed them out, and Bella picked the one she liked best.”
Another thing Bella wanted to do was create shirts she could give to her friends to help get the word out about Bella’s Boxes. Brandi Cobb of Make It Personal in Carrollton makes all the shirts for the nonprofit.
In December 2020, Bella picked five friends to receive the shirts as Christmas gifts.
“That’s how we introduced Bella’s Boxes to everybody – with the help of a few of her friends,” Amaris recalls.
Bella and her mom developed a process for putting the boxes together and distributing them, which included reaching out to people to solicit donations. They sent the first box in December 2020.
“We adopted a child for Christmas,” Bella recalls.
The box included clothes, toys and other items the child had on her wish list.
“We put them all in one big box,” Bella says. “My mom wrapped every present inside it and the big box around it.”
After that first box, she started sending boxes monthly. In January 2021, she donated boxes filled with her favorite snacks to Little Free Pantry locations in Carrollton.
She builds each box around a theme. For example, the theme for this month’s box is "Sweets and Treats," which includes some of Bella’s favorite Valentine’s Day treats. Past themes included "Cans for a Cause" boxes for local food pantries and "Back-to-School" boxes filled with school supplies for students at Central Elementary.
“We also did dental hygiene boxes in March,” Bella recalls. “We gave them to the Carrollton Police Department, and they helped us distribute them to kids who needed them.”
Most people hear about Bella’s Boxes through word of mouth, and the response has been incredible.
Since its launch, the nonprofit has had a significant impact in West Georgia, distributing at least 1,000 boxes to date.
The Gift of Giving
“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”
– Gandhi
The recipients of the boxes aren’t the only ones benefiting from Bella’s Boxes Bella is learning valuable lessons about community service.
This past December, she sent another Christmas box – this time to a foster child. When she delivered the box to the workers at Carroll County CourtAppointed Special Advocates (CASA), she learned about the foster care system.
“They told her a little about kids being in foster care and the needs they have,” Amaris recalls. “I like the connections to the community that she’s making.”
It was one of these connections that sparked an idea for one box. When the student council visited Open Hands United Christian Ministry in Carrollton, Bella met executive director Sue McGukin and learned that the nonprofit needed toiletries to distribute to the people using their services.
Bella returned home excited to tell her mom that she wanted to make boxes for the ministry.
“That was a really good experience for her to branch out and meet an organization that needed help, and then come and bring it to me,” Amaris says.
During this time, Danielle Black, career manager of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Metro Brokers in Villa Rica, met one of Bella’s grandmothers in a nail salon, and they started talking about Bella’s Boxes
“Danielle found us on social media and reached out to find out how she could help,” Amaris recalls.
The real estate company ended up helping collect donations for Open Hands.
One of Bella’s most memorable experiences was when she delivered craft boxes to the Boys and Girls Club.
“Knowing it was going to help a lot of kids made me so happy,” she recalls.
Bella also met program director Kimberly Thomas, took a tour of the facility and saw the artwork the kids helped create.
It Takes a Village
“So, continue encouraging each other and building each other up, just like you are doing already.”
– 1 Thessalonians 5:11
Having the unwavering support of her family helps keep Bella motivated.
She has three brothers, 16-year-old Omereo, Jr., 5-year-old Israel and 1-year-old Justice. Her brother Omereo helps her deliver boxes to local pantries.
Her dad – Douglas County Sheriff’s Deputy Omereo Potts, Sr. – also supports her.
“I remember with my 'Summer Fun' boxes, he talked to his boss and got the OK for me to pass out the boxes there,” she says.
For that summer’s box, AGW Ice Cream in Carrollton donated free ice cream coupons.
“Every kid was able to get a free ice cream,” Amaris recalls.
They also provided boxes to the Carrollton Police Department and Carroll County Sheriff’s Office to distribute to children in the community. And, of course, her mom is a big part of the equation.
“If it wasn’t for my mom, Bella’s Boxes would not be possible,” Bella says. “She handles everything. She’s great at it and makes sure everything gets done.”
But it’s not just family members: Bella also gets help from local businesses like Anchor Fitness.
“The gym my mom goes to helps a lot,” Bella says. “For 'Cans for a Cause,' they put up a poster in their gym and collected hundreds of cans.”
Messer Hardware in Bowdon donated hats for the "Hats and Gloves" boxes distributed in October.
“They gave us some really cool hats,” Bella says. “We did a 'Hats and Gloves' box because temperatures dropped, and it got really cold. So, I’m happy that we passed out the boxes and got the donation.”
Life Outside the Box
Of course, Bella’s life isn’t all about boxes. She’s involved in multiple extracurricular activities that keep her busy. Besides running Bella’s Boxes and being a Girl Scout, Bella is involved in several other activities.
She’s vice president of the Junior Beta Club and a member of the sewing club and student council. She also attends No Walls Now What? led by Pastor Leigh McMurty in Winston.
The church, where Bella serves as an usher on Sundays, is a big supporter of Bella’s Boxes
“This church loves Bella and her boxes,” Amaris says. “They also gave her a very large financial donation to help with boxes, and many of the members have been in her life since birth.”
But that’s not all. Bella enjoys dancing at the Carrollton Academy of Dance and playing the electric drums.
“I love music,” she says. “When I was 8, I started beating on my notebook with a pencil at school.”
When she told her mom about her newfound fascination with drums, Amaris had another instrument in mind for Bella to play.
“I suggested piano,” she recalls. “I wanted her to be like Alicia Keys, but she said, ‘No.’ She wanted drums.”
Concerned that adding another activity to Bella’s schedule would be too much, Amaris initially told her no. Not one to give up easily, Bella continued to ask her mother for drums.
“Our schedule freed up a little bit, so that’s when I said, ‘Yes, you can try drums,” Amaris recalls.
So, she signed Bella up to take lessons at Pippin Music Academy in Carrollton.
“Everybody there is very kind to her – very supportive,” Amaris says. “It’s been a really good experience.”
So how does Bella juggle these activities while still finding time to run her own nonprofit?
“The most I do in one day is three activities, so they’re evenly spread out, and that helps,” she says. “My mom makes sure I have everything I need for everything I do.”
If you thought Bella was finished adding things to her to-do list, think again. She also decided to write a book, God Heal My Mom’s Heart. It’s written from a child’s point of view and is a companion to Amaris’ book, Mistakes and Heartbreaks: Who Knew God’s Favorite Would Be Unfaithful?
Both books are available for purchase on Amazon, and proceeds from the book sales are going to Bella’s Boxes.
Bella has more books in the works, including a Bella World series centered on some of her favorite activities, like Girl Scouts and playing the drums.
Dreams for the Future
To me, having Bella’s Boxes is fun and inspirational because I love helping people. It makes me feel good in my soul, and the face of joy I see is amazing.
– Bella Potts
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When her friends ask Bella how much money she makes, she reminds them that she has a nonprofit, not a business.
“Knowing that I helped somebody is payment enough, and it’s great to just help your community,” she says. “You shouldn’t have to be paid to help.”
Bella has accomplished more at 10 than some adults do in their lifetime. That’s part of what makes her story so remarkable.
One takeaway that Bella would like everyone to remember is that it’s never too early to make a difference.
“You’re never too young to help,” she says.
And with Bella’s Boxes, she’s doing precisely that.
“I think I tell her every other day that I’m really proud of her,” Amaris says. “She’s the reason I feel like I’m a better giver because I’ve seen it from her.”
She encourages parents to let their children take initiative and support what they’re passionate about.
“If your child has a dream or a goal, listen to them,” she says. “I think as parents, sometimes we get busy with our lives and all the things that we have to do that we don’t put the energy into them. Take the time to talk to them and help them in the best way that you can.”
Seeing her vision brought to life is a dream come true for Bella, but she has even bigger plans.
So, what lies ahead for Bella’s Boxes?
Since they currently store all donations in her family’s garage, Bella wants to get a warehouse or office space for the nonprofit. “The house is pretty packed, so I want to get a building for those boxes where people can volunteer to help,” she says.
Through her remarkable efforts, Bella gives hope and comfort to children who need it most – and she’s not stopping there. She wants to have an even bigger reach and deliver Bella's Boxes worldwide.
With her drive and ambition, it may only be a matter of time before she makes it happen.
