Paying it forward
Jill remembers how caring people helped her and her family as she was growing up, the youngest of seven childeren whose father died when she was just four years old. “It made a difference for us when neighbors and church members brought food for the holidays,” she shared. That’s why she encourages her children to share the many blessings that they have and find creative ways to help others. Organizing holiday food drives like this pre-Thanksgiving collection at the Harleysville Walmart is one way they help.
Daughter Olivia began gathering school friends to “Carol for Cans” during the Christmas season when she was only in fourth grade. Now a sixth grade student, she and her younger brother Connor, participate in two food drives each year. Their pre-Thanksgiving collection produced 362 lbs. of pantry donations and more than $150 for Keystone. The Basile family knows how experiencing the blessing of being helped makes it important for them to “pay it forward.”