EAGLE, Idaho — The COVID-19 pandemic has brought plenty of uncertainty to the Treasure Valley. Because of that uncertainty, local food banks are facing a huge demand for assistance and donations.
A local family knows the food banks are in need, and decided to hold a bake sale to earn proceeds for them.
Kyle and Lisa Ellis live in Eagle with their three children: 11-year-old Brianna, eight-year-old Joseph and six-year-old Brooklyn.
Lisa Ellis said her daughter, Brianna, has always had a giving and caring heart. For her tenth birthday, she held a food and donation drive at her school.
“Since she was eight years old she has had charity birthday parties," Lisa Ellis said. "Instead of gifts, she asks for donations for local causes."
With the help of her school friends, Brianna was able to donate 960 pounds of food to the Meridian Food Bank last year.
“I decided to get my school involved because I knew I could bring in a lot of food for the Meridian Food Bank,” Brianna said. "It made me feel happy and proud."
Kyle Ellis, Brianna's dad, said Brianna has always set a great example for her little brother and sister.
“Brianna recognizes that there are people less privileged than her. She doesn't take what she has for granted,” Kyle Ellis said. “She is very focused on making sure that when she has the opportunity, she's able to help others in need. It’s encouraged all of us, even me.”
Over the summer, the Ellis children had an idea: they wanted to open up a bakery.
“We ended up baking a bunch of cupcakes, cookies and decided to put on a bake sale out in front of our house," Lisa Ellis said. "They were social distancing, putting their gloves on and their masks.”
After the bake sale was over, the Ellis children discovered they raised $427. Rather than divide it between the three of them, they decided the money should go to the Meridian Food Bank.
“We have a roof over our heads, we also have shoes and beds to sleep in,” eight-year-old Joseph said.
Their parents are so proud.
“Words can't express it,” Kyle Ellis said. “I couldn't be more proud of them.”
The Ellis children have big plans to keep giving back in the future.
“We want to keep this going, especially during this hard time of coronavirus,” Brianna said. “We definitely want to keep going.”
For more information on the Meridian Food Bank and how you can help, or to get help with food assistance, click here.
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