JUPITER, Fla. — Audrey Robertson, 12, will be the first to say she's a typical kid, down to her love of dancing, dogs and hanging out with friends.
You don't have to sit down too long with her to tell she's not like other kids her age.
"She's had this drive and this passion for others since she was little, but, really, she's developed that more and more as time went on," her mother, Dorinda Robertson, explained.
Audrey adds part of it comes from knowing how fortunate she and her Jupiter family are.
"My life is very fun and I'm just blessed to have it," she said.
The other part of her kindness comes from knowing there are 330 to 340 foster kids serviced by the West Palm Beach nonprofit Place of Hope on a daily basis who aren't as lucky.
Place of Hope is a state-licensed organization providing programs and services to end cycles of abuse, neglect homelessness and human trafficking.
As early as 7 years old, Audrey was inspired by organizations like Place of Hope to start her own Christmas toy drive with a goal of 100 toys. Always the go-getter, she gathered 175.
Staff at Place of Hope like Jamie Bond said they are grateful leaders like Audrey.
"She said to me, 'I've been blessed, so I want to bless others and I really want to provide the children coming through Place of Hope the opportunities that I've had,'" recalled Bond from a conversation she had with Audrey.
Years later, at 12, Audrey's toy drives turned to lemonade stands, turned to Dunkin' Donuts donations and now YouTube videos all to help those who need it.
"It's one thing to just raise money which we need," said Bond. "But at the same time, (Audrey) be(ing) able to educate people on what is human trafficking, what is foster care, what is the homeless situation here for our kids that are aging out of foster care."
Audrey's goal this time is about $10,000 for foster kids at Place of Hope. So far, she's at $6,200 and not stopping as long as there are kids in her community who need to know someone cares about them.
"I just want to tell them that God loves you," said Audrey. "And there may be people and there are people who will show you love and will care for you. And there are good people out there, as long as you think of that your life is going to be a lot better."
To kids her age watching, Audrey wants them to know it's not too young to change someone's life for the better.
"Why wait? There's so many things you can do to make a difference," she said right before reminding me of one of her favorite quotes. "Turn your can't into cans and your dreams into plans."
The money raised will go towards case management of kids and families with whom Place of Hope works, as well as therapeutic care, recruitment and licensing of foster families.
To find out more about Place of Hope and how to help support Audrey's fundraiser,click here.
