Midlands teen gives back to homeless children on their birthdays

COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) - A Midlands teen is hoping to make sure that South Carolina's homeless children will never go without a birthday gift again.

Madison Dinkins, 17, launched the birthday box, a project that aims to provide gifts to homeless children on their birthday.

It's a part of her ongoing mission that she started nearly one year ago.

All of this started in honor of her friend who passed away in a car wreck in 2015.

"McKenzie Cook passed away in a car accident. she loved giving back to her community, she would go to Uganda and she loved the street children there," Madison said. "I thought maybe bringing it back - she loved doing stuff for them so I thought to bring it back to South Carolina to the United States."

Dinkins has at least 5 boxes in homeless shelters here in the Midlands including at St. Lawrence place and Sister Care.

"The homeless children here are almost the same as there. She loved doing stuff for them so I thought if I continued her legacy here then she would be happy as she could be in heaven," Madison said.

Throughout the year Dinkins fills the box with gifts for boys and girls. She has donated more than 200 gifts to children and families in need since launching her project in August 2016.

As she approaches the one-year anniversary of her mission to give back,  she's trying to spread awareness and hoping to add more boxes in the Upstate and Lowcountry.

TheBirthdayBox.rocks allow you to donate and read about her mission. You can visit the link here: https://www.thebirthdaybox.rocks/ 

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