Halaina Gobran has a goal for giving back — the 11-year-old Buford resident wants to fill 1,000 gallon-size plastic bags with hygiene products for people in need.
From those experiencing homelessness to individuals who may find themselves displaced due to domestic violence or other circumstances, Halaina wants to provide them with a bag filled with basic necessities such as toothbrushes and toothpaste, soap, deodorant, combs and other items.
“I don’t like seeing people in bad situations,” Halaina said, “and I feel like if they have hygiene products, they can get clean.”
The Buford Middle School sixth grader and her mom, Lisa Gobran, are collecting donations to help Halaina reach her goal.
“People always give food,” Lisa said, “but we thought with COVID happening, hygiene is a big thing. We thought we could provide the basics — a toothbrush, toothpaste, a comb, body wipes.”
So far, Halaina has finished filling 200 bags — 100 bags with products for women and girls and 100 bags with items for men and boys. She has received enough donations of toothbrushes, travel-size tissues, nail clippers, mints and hand wipes to fill 1,000 bags.
“I think it’s kind of them,” Halaina said of those who have donated. “It’s some people that we don’t even know, too.”
Halaina and Lisa are still seeking donations of men’s and women’s socks, travel-size soap and deodorant, Band-Aids, lip balm, combs, tampons and toothpaste. Lisa has created an Amazon wishlist for those who wish to donate to Halaina’s giving project.
To fill the bags, Halaina and Lisa have created an assembly line — boxes containing different items are lined up on the family’s dining room table and Halaina goes from box to box ensuring one of each item goes into a bag.
“She’s learning about quality control check,” Lisa laughed.
Once Halaina reaches her goal of filling 1,000 bags, she and Lisa plan to deliver the items to homeless shelters, women’s shelters and ministries that assist those in need to help missions that reach a wider network in the community.
“I feel like some people really need help and they don’t have the help they probably need,” Halaina said. “Giving back to other people would cheer people up and get them happy. I don’t like seeing people sad.”
“We do it because it’s going to help people and it feels good,” Lisa said. “If more people gave just one thing to help someone else, there would be a lot of people not going without, and that’s what I’m trying to teach Halaina.”
FEATURED PHOTO: Halaina Gobran, 11, with the help of her mother, Lisa Gobran, is collecting donations of hygiene items for those in need. Photo courtesy of Lisa Gobran.
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