A bright red and yellow box sits at the front of the Plant City’s First Baptist Church Learning Center. Covered in daisy wrapping paper, it can’t be missed. And although it’s only been there for a month, it’s already filled to the brim with games and toys.
The box is part of the Daisy Project, the passion project of Walden Lake second-grader Chloe Shinneman. It’s her mission to collect toys, gift cards and crafts for children with cancer at St. Joseph’s Hospital, in Tampa.
It is something that had been on Chloe’s mind since September. Mother Tricia Shinneman and Chloe were on their way to Lowe’s Home Improvement, when Chloe finally spoke up about her idea. She brought up her sick friends.
“She said, ‘Well I want to collect things to make them happy,’” Shinneman said.
Chloe had just been to a sleepover with her friend Natalie Harrell, who had had a cancerous tumor removed from her brain earlier this year. She still gets treatment at St Joseph’s Hospital.
“She’s nice and friendly,” Chloe said.
“At the sleepover, she got to spend more time with her, and I think she really got to know her more,” Shinneman said. “I think that’s what spurred it.”
Shinneman curiously pressed her daughter for more information.
What types of things do you want to collect?
Chloe brainstormed.
Coloring books, crayons and games.
Together, the mother-daughter team thought of a name for her charity. After much deliberation, Chloe blurted out, “Daisy.”
Shinneman was curious. What did a flower have to do with cancer?
But Chloe had an explanation planned out.
You know that game where you pick the petals off the flowers and say, ‘He loves me; he loves me not?’ I want them to know He loves them.
The name stuck.
Every day, Chloe has been begging her mom to make flyers. And Chloe has been passionate about passing them out. During a trip to Tasty Treat, she rolled down her window. In an excited shrill, Chloe gabbed about the Daisy Project to an employee who handed Chloe her ice cream. Chloe handed her a flyer.
Chloe also encouraged Shinneman to make a Facebook page for the Daisy Project.
“Every day, she asks how many Likes it has,” Shinneman said.
The next step was to have a collection drop-off point. Shinneman teaches at First Baptist Learning Center, and her family also attends church there. So, it was only natural to get the congregation involved.
“As a school and as a church, we decided to support it,” Director Kim Shouse said. “We are a drop-off place for the supplies.”
Chloe also met with one of the pastors to discuss other ideas for collections. The church decided to put two Christmas trees up for the project. Each tree will have an angel ornament on it with a description of an item nurses have requested for the children.
Shinneman hopes to drop off the goodies around Thanksgiving, before the Christmas trees go up.
“It’s really laid on her heart that she really wants to help these children,” Shinneman said.
Contact Amber Jurgensen at ajurgensen@plantcityobserver.com.
HOW TO HELP
The Daisy Project is taking up a variety of items for children with cancer at St. Joseph’s Hospital. Items can be dropped off at First Baptist Learning Center, 503. N. Palmer St.
The items include but are not limited to:
• Toys
• Games
• Coloring books
• Crayons
• Video games
• Gift certificates
• Fun pillowcases