Local 11-year-old Spends Summers Raising Money for Charity

Katrina Carmichael is proof that even the smallest person can make a difference.

Katrina is 11 years old, and for the last two summers, she has put on fundraisers to help raise money for the Renewal Food Bank in Bellevue. She has donated over $400 total.

“Even a little bit of money helps the hungry," she said. 

According to its website, Renewal Food Bank is part of Northwest Harvest and Food Lifeline Hunger Relief Network and has provided food for hundreds of thousands of people.

When it comes to fundraising, Katrina isn’t just a young philanthropist, she’s an entrepreneur.

She first learned about Renewal Food Bank through her school, . When Katrina was in the 4th grade, her school did a fundraiser for the food bank. The students were given clear plastic piggy banks that they used to save money and then donate the money that they saved.

The summer after fourth grade, Katrina decided that she wanted to put on a bake sale to raise even more money, but she didn’t just set up a stand in her neighborhood. She practically created a business.

With the help of her mom, Katrina passed out fliers to family friends and classmates, she took orders, created menus and baked goodies. By the end of that summer, she raised over $200.

When Katrina graduated from the fifth grade, she decided that she wanted to do something different for the food bank, so she hosted a two-day yard sale, and raised $272.

“It makes me feel nice,” she said about fundraising for charity. 

Her mother, Julia Carmichael, said that people were very receptive to the fundraiser, and that her daughter has really taken on fundraising, and has a “servant’s heart.”

Katrina is modest about her accomplishments, but is dedicated to her cause. She is currently trying to think of an idea for her next fundraiser.

In the meantime, she had some advice for her peers. “If you have passion to do something, you should do it. Just because you’re young doesn’t mean you can’t have an impact.”

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Renewal Food Bank is located at 2015 Richards Road in Bellevue. For more information about the Renewal Food Bank, visit their website, Facebook page, or call 425-643-8246.