Amazing Kids Feature: Pippa
“Reading about Nya made me want to help because it seemed like it was hard to walk all that way. It was August, and we had tons of tomatoes, and we couldn’t eat them all. I asked my mom if I could sell them to raise money.”
Words from this month’s Amazing Kids featured student Pippa, a six-year-old homeschooler who read Nya’s Long Walk: A Step at a Time—author Linda Sue Park’s companion book to A Long Walk to Water, specifically written for younger readers.
Pippa sat at the end of her family’s driveway for weeks during August and September to sell tomatoes. Some days, especially in the beginning, Pippa would sit outside for hours reading and eating breakfast and lunch in the driveway as she waited for customers. “I would stop reading if a car came by to see if they would stop.” Many didn’t until her mom Becky shared her efforts on NextDoor. Soon, neighbors were coming specifically to donate. Pippa’s determination to help others kept her going in the beginning.
The book that inspired Pippa to help others
After weeks of sitting in her driveway, Becky took her to their local farmer’s market. Pippa begged her mom to find out if she could have a table for her tomato sales. Becky wasn’t sure, imagining the challenges of hosting a table for Pippa with her two youngest, Bo and Sam, tagging along—three and one years old, respectively. But Pippa’s persistence made it impossible to say no. Becky asked the market’s management, and the answer was an immediate “yes.”
With help from Becky, Pippa made signs highlighting her fundraising efforts for market shoppers. As the tomato supply started to dwindle, Pippa and her brother Bo painted shells they’d collected during a family vacation—these became supplemental items to raise funds in the driveway and at the farmer’s market.
“I felt kind of proud because I raised so much,” Pippa said of her experience raising $800.
Pippa’s advice to people of all ages who want to help? “Find or make something to sell and set up a stand. Don’t get frustrated if no one stops for a while.”
“It was pretty cool to see how motivated she was to fundraise. It was a lot of work, but I didn’t want to stamp out her motivation. She kept at it all on her own,” Becky said of watching Pippa’s summer fundraising efforts unfold.
Pippa has a vivid imagination and spends a lot of time playing with her little brothers. Her favorite subject in school is history, learning about ancient people and places, and she loves to read. She dreams of being an archeologist when she grows up.
We’re so inspired to meet kids like Pippa, who continuously give us hope for the future. A big thank you to her family and community for supporting WFSS.
Pippa selling tomatoes in her family’s driveway
Bo, Pippa and friend at the farmer’s market
