Girl’s birthday ‘wish list’ taught her friends: ‘It’s more blessed to give than to receive’_20904

Posted: 1/27/04

Friends of Jaclyn Robison (left) brought teddy bears to donate to the Irving Police Department to help children in crisis situations. At right, Jaclyn gets her hair cut to donate to Locks of Love.

Girl's birthday 'wish list' taught her friends:
'It's more blessed to give than to receive'

By Leann Callaway

Special to the Standard

IRVING–Instead of handing her parents a list of things she wanted for her eighth birthday, Jaclyn Robison from Oak View Baptist Church in Irving gave them a different kind of "wish list."

Her request this year was to find out how she could help others. When she heard about Locks of Love, which provides hairpieces for children who have hair loss because of medical treatments, she had her parents take her to get 12 inches of her long, golden locks snipped off.

But the giving didn't stop there. She still wanted to do more to help others in need.

Her mother, Rhonda, who teaches a 12th grade girls' Sunday school class at Oak View, suggested donating teddy bears to the Irving Police Department for children in crisis situations.

Jaclyn liked the idea, and the theme of her birthday party soon became a "giving party." On the invitations, her friends were instructed to bring teddy bears instead of shopping for presents. She ended up receiving 54 bears that went to the Irving Police Department.

"Jaclyn is a very giving little girl, and she wanted to help other people less fortunate," her mother explained. "Jaclyn thinks about what other people want, not so much what she needs or wants."

Mrs. Robison also believes that being part of a missions-minded church attributed to her daughter's desire to help others.

"I feel really great helping those kids," Jaclyn Robison said. "My friends were amazed at what I did. I think other kids could do this, too."