9-Year-Old Is Collecting 1,000 Barbie Dolls for Homeless Girls Her Age
"Girls in shelters deserve the same things we have," Gianni Graham said.
— -- Over 700 Barbie dolls currently fill the room of 9-year-old Gianni Graham's home in Norfolk, Virginia.
"There are barbies everywhere, it's like we're living in Barbie-land!" Gianni's mother Whitney Graham told ABC News today. "But Gianni has no plans to open or play with the Barbies."
The 9-year-old is actually on a mission to collect 1,000 new Barbie dolls for 1,000 homeless girls her age, her mother explained.
"Girls in shelters deserve the same things we have," Gianni told ABC News today. She said she was inspired to start her project "1K Barbies for 1K Girls" a few days after Christmas.
"I was playing one day, and it just came to me that I could collect Barbies to help girls in need," Gianni said.
Her mother, Whintey Graham, added that "giving is in Gianni's blood" and that she and Gianni donate and make cards for cancer patients at a local children's hospital every Christmas.
Though Gianni only started her donation collection with five barbies, those five soon multiplied into 500 after a local news station caught wind of Gianni's story, Graham said.
Since then, hundreds of more dolls have arrived from all over the world, and even Ashton Kutcher recently shared Gianni's story on his Fabebook page, Graham added.
Gianni is wrapping the Barbie doll boxes in pink paper and writing "encouragement notes" which say things like, "I hope this brings you joy," and "This is given to you as a friend."
The 9-year-old and her mother said they are working on getting in touch with local shelters and social services to figure out the best way to distribute the dolls to girls in need in their area.
"I'm so proud of her, I cry every day," Graham said. "Her school is actually doing a Black History Month program soon, and they're dedicating an entrepreneurial segment to Gianni."
The little girl with big ambitions added that she has no plans on slowing down and hopes to grow up to be a forensic scientist one day.
For more information, you can visit Gianni's website, her Facebook page and Instagram.