Meet Mackenzie – Student Sponsor

Meet Mackenzie. She is 12 years old and attends 6th grade in Jacksonville, FL. She is a straight A student, loves animals, and was the first girl to make her local baseball team.  She is also a proud HOM student sponsor. 

For her most recent birthday, Mackenzie raised money from her family and friends with the goal of resuming sponsorship of Franz Olizia, a first grader at our Repatriote school. This is the third year that Mackenzie has put her birthday money
towards sponsorship.

How was Mackenzie inspired to sponsor? Her dad Sean participated in an HOM medical mission trip in 2018, which he describes as “life-changing.” Once home, he shared the impact of this trip with his family.  Mackenzie, just 9 at the time, had a birthday coming up and realized, I can help people, and it changes their world.

This year, Mackenzie raised and donated $256, which wasn’t quite enough to sponsor Franz for a full year. An anonymous donor learned of Mackenzie’s generous effort and donated the balance needed. Mackenzie recently received an updated picture of Franz and is delighted to learn he continues to do well in school.

Mackenzie told me, “Some people aren’t as lucky, and the kids in Haiti need the money more than I do. We can all pitch in a little or a lot…we just need a little love from our heart to get started.”

Isaiah 11:6 tells us, “And a little child will lead them.”  Thank you Mackenzie for leading by example and sharing the love in your heart with Franz and with HOM!