Community Champion: Lillian Cashion
“It makes me so happy just seeing people joy on their face. It just warms my heart and it just makes me so happy,” said Lillian Cashion, this month’s Community Champion.
On top of school work and spending time with family, 12-year old Cashion spends much of her free time giving back to those in need.
It’s something she has been passionate about since she was only eight-years-old.
“About four years ago when I saw a homeless person on the side of the road and it just like hurt me that they didn’t have much. So I decided that I was going to start doing stuff for people who don’t have much, and that’s what I was going to do,” said Cashion.
That’s when Cashion got the idea to create hygiene bags for the homeless community, filled with products like toothbrushes and soap. But also something special.
“So I’ll do like fruit and then like water and some snacks and like protein and a little note. It’s like a little Bible verse and I just give it to them at the side of the road when I, if I see them,” said Cashion.
But Cashion’s heart of giving back didn’t stop there. She helps to fill Give Back Jack boxes in the area.
The boxes are stocked with canned goods and snacks for people who may be hungry.
Cashion also sponsors families with the Dream Center, buying presents so the kids will have something to look forward to on Christmas day.
“I just love doing that. It’s just so fun, and knowing that I’m giving to someone, it just makes me so much happier than me getting stuff. I would way prefer to give other people’s stuff than me getting something,” explained Cashion.
But Cashion’s most recent mission is one for little girls and boys fighting for their lives.
The goal is to provide a Chemo Fairy to every pediatric oncology patient at Centennial Medical Center.
She will go in December to deliver the first fairies.
“They’re these little fairies and they come with a bag and a certificate and a little book. And I’ll bring it for all the cancer kids and all the donations I keep doing, I’ll keep bringing them,” Cashion shared.
But that’s not all, Cashion says she wants to do more.
“Also, I want to get the toy medical equipment. So, like, if they’re nervous, they can come in and they can play with their IVs. For something before chemo and stuff that they can play with so they know what’s going to happen and they’re not as nervous,” said Lillian.
And to fundraise for this special endeavor, Cashion and her grandmother came up with an idea that’s not only resourceful, but helps to decorate her neighborhood with fall décor.
“Me and my grandmother came up with it to do corn stalks and put them on people’s mailbox with a ribbon. And I just thought that was a really good idea,” Cashion explained.
The cornstalks were donated to Lillian by a farmer named Lee Perkins. Lillian says it’s community members like Mr. Perkins who help her achieve her goals.
At such a young age, Cashion shows that anything is possible when you set your mind to it and offered some advice for other kids looking to make a difference.
“You can start at whatever age to help your community. You can just start with selling lemonade or easy stuff. Or if you get allowance, you can just put some on the side and you can start making hygiene bags. It doesn’t have to be that big, just give someone a smile and that can always make their day better,” said Cashion.
Donations can be made on Venmo at Lillian-Cashion.
