Fort Mill girl shares birthday gifts with kids at Rock Hill Children’s Attention Home

Six-year-old Malina Brooks wasn’t expecting a lot of presents.

When she sent out the invitations to her Fort Mill dance birthday party, she asked her friends to bring socks, underwear and snacks.

She wanted to give gifts to the Children’s Attention Home in Rock Hill. She did just that Thursday when she and her dad, Jeffrey Brooks, loaded the car after school and drove to the center – a home for children who have been abused and neglected.

Malina didn’t just carry heavy bags to the front door. She carried a huge smile.

“They’ll like the vegetable straws,” she said while pointing out the items she had collected. “We got Frosted Flakes, too.”

It seems the conversations she has had with her parents about giving to others in need had worked.

“She didn’t seem to mind not getting as many presents as she might have normally gotten,” Jeffrey Brooks said.

Malina knows how fortunate her family is, and she wanted to share her good fortune to kids at the center, he said.

“I think it would be good to help people,” Malina said.

Malina said she hopes to open her own children’s home some day.

“We want her to know that she did a good thing ... and for others to take it as an example,” Jeffrey Brooks said.

An anonymous donor has offered to match donations made to the center for its “Fill the Sleigh” gift challenge, which started Thursday and continues through Monday.

The donor will match up to $5,000.

Donations to the Children’s Attention Home can be mailed to P.O. Box 2912, Rock Hill, S.C. 29732 or at attentionhome.org.

This story was originally published December 15, 2016 at 8:39 PM with the headline "Fort Mill girl shares birthday gifts with kids at Rock Hill Children’s Attention Home."