Graduation is a time of celebration for teens, but one high school student decided to use hers to give back to those less fortunate than her.
Leanne Carrasco ordered herself 95 pizzas after graduating. But instead of eating them herself with her friends, she decided to do something a lot more memorable: donate the pizzas to homeless women and children.
"Not a lot of people have the same options as me. It's not fair," she explained to CNN. "There are a lot of people who need help. So I give it."
Leanne had volunteered before, but this was an entirely different kettle of fish. Gathering a bunch of her friends, she got to work. It took around a month to collect enough supplies including toothpaste, toothbrushes, hand wipes, and deodorant, then pack the supplies into 400 hygiene bags so they could better distribute to the homeless people there.
Finally, the moment came, and last Sunday, Carrasco and her friends went to Star of Hope homeless shelter to give out their pizzas. But according to a spokesman for the shelter, they gave out more than just pizza and supplies.
"They [the teens] had respect for these people. They saw them as peers," said Scott Arthur.
"The residents saw this as a validation that people do care. It was a very magical day. It gives you a hope for the youth of today. They [the teens] were able to think of other people... I told her this was her final exam, and she got an A plus."
"I think you should always know you're lucky to have what you have," said Leanna Carrasco, who is planning to enroll at Briar Cliff University to study nursing. "Don't take that for granted and continue to give."
