New Jersey 9-Year-Old Asks for Food Bank Donations in Lieu of Birthday Gifts

Gia Nelms celebrated her ninth birthday last week in quarantine. But, instead of asking for birthday gifts, she requested donations for her local food bank.

The third grader reportedly had a typical girl's birthday wish list, according to NJ.com: pool gear, toys, nail polish, and jewelry.

But, after realizing the gravity of the coronavirus outbreak, she instead decided to use her special day to give back to the community:

"There are people who are scared to come out their house, so I decided to bring stuff to the food pantry so they could be happy.", Nelms told NJ.com.

All Vineland Kid Wanted for Birthday Was Food Bank Donations

And it looks like her request was successful. 'Gia's Birthday Giving Table' and her family car ended up full of non-perishable food items she'll pass along to those in need.

View this post on Instagram

Like most girls her age, Gia Nelms was looking forward to celebrating her ninth birthday with friends and family. 🎁 The third-grader had her wish list: pool stuff, some toys, nail polish and jewelry. 🎁 But after overhearing her family talk about helping its community during the coronavirus outbreak, Gia changed her mind. 🎁 "There are people who are scared to come out their house, so I decided to bring stuff to the food pantry so they could be happy." 🎁 Nice job, Gia! Thank you for sharing this story with us for the #TogetherNJ project. Read more about her gifts at the link in our bio. 🎁 We would love to hear your story about love and kindness right now. Use #toghethernj or go to nj.com/togethernj. #newjersey #nj #togethernj #love

A post shared by NJ.com (@njdotcom) on Apr 25, 2020 at 9:05am PDT

You're an inspiration, Gia! Happy Birthday from SoJO 104.9!

SOURCES: njdotcom/Instagram