Abigail’s Heart of Giving: A Young Parishioner’s Selfless Journey to Make a Difference
Abigail Wink is an inspiring young parishioner at St. Paul Parish who is making a big impact through her generosity and selflessness. At the young age of 7, Abigail has embraced the importance of giving back and is making it a central part of her life.
It all started when her parents, Bryan and Marci, began a tradition of asking for donations instead of gifts at their children's birthday parties. Fortunate to have a large family that spoils them, they wanted to celebrate with friends while giving back to the community. They decided that asking for donations for a specific charity instead of birthday gifts would be a great way to show and teach their children the importance of giving to others.
The Wink Family: (left to right) Marci, Cooper, Abigail, and Bryan
While the tradition started out as a family effort, Abigail has embraced the cause and taken it to a whole new level to feed the hungry in our local community. Last month at her 7th birthday party, Abigail asked her friends and family to bring non-perishable food items to be donated to St. Paul Parish Monthly Food Collection for Catholic Charities of NE Kansas. With great love in her heart and a smile on her face, she proudly delivered the items to the food drive on February 1st.
Abigail proudly posing with the gifts from her 7th birthday party in January.
Her inspiring act of charity resulted in a mountain of non-perishable food items that were collected and distributed to the less fortunate through Catholic Charities. Determined to make an even bigger impact than she already has, she has taken the initiative to tell her friends why she doesn't need birthday gifts and inspires her peers to follow her example of Christ’s love.
Abigail isn’t the only child in the family that has embraced the generous spirit of giving. Abigail’s 5-year-old brother, Cooper, collects and donates items to the Johnson County Public Safety (JCPS) Toy and Food Drive each year. JCPS is a 501(c)3 organization founded by law enforcement officers, firefighters, and paramedics that collects and distributes toys to needy families in Johnson County during the holidays.
Cooper and Abigail at the annual JCPS Toy and Food Drive.
Abigail and Cooper's passion for giving at such a young age is truly inspiring. Their dedication to helping those in need serves as a reminder that even small acts of kindness can have a big impact. We are proud to have them as parishioners of St. Paul and are grateful for their unwavering commitment to giving back.
Thank you, Wink Family, for your witness to Christ’s love and for reminding us all of the power of giving. Your selfless generosity is a shining example of the Pioneer Spirit - what it means to live a life of compassion and love for others. †
“Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.” Matthew 25:34-36