A young girl who won a $70,000 SUV from a charity raffle donated the car back without a moment’s hesitation. Thirteen-year-old Erin Byrnes from Syracuse, New York, has been fundraising and volunteering at Joseph’s House, a shelter for pregnant mothers, for over a year.
Byrnes won the fully loaded Chevy Tahoe in the charity raffle but gave it back in a heartbeat to the nonprofit for mothers and their children. According to Syracuse, the story of her kindness has touched the hearts of many. Steve Thomas, an IT consultant outside of Chicago, wrote in an email:
“I’m a 51-year-old man and I started crying reading about this young lady’s act of charity. She is truly an angel on earth.”
People have been moved to pay it forward by reaching out and adding to Byrnes’ gift to Joseph’s House. A local business has offered to collaborate with Byrnes for a holiday project during the Christmas time for the nonprofit organization. A jeweler from Central New York is also letting the young girl pick out Christmas gifts from his store for the mothers.
Byrnes’ mother, Jeanie Byrnes, revealed that her daughter doesn’t enjoy being in the spotlight too much. The humble middle-schooler also did not think her decision to donate the car was anything extraordinary.
However, her mother added, “She’s quite the little fundraiser.”
During an interview with a Rochester radio station, Byrnes encouraged listeners to check out her favorite charity:
“You can go to jhfw.org and make a donation.”
