Loose change to changed lives:
Ashton’s story
By Hillary Hallett
Special to The Star-Herald
It all started a few weeks ago when Ashton Embelton, the daughter of Tim and Kim Embelton, and her family were watching television and listening to songs on YouTube when she became very upset with what she was seeing and hearing.
They were listening to “We are the World” and at the same time a commercial was on about saving the children. Ashton got up and left the room. A few minutes later her folks heard crying coming from her room. They went to see what was wrong and she kept saying “It’s so sad, momma, people are hungry and it seems like no one cares.”
Her mother explained that people do care, but there is much hunger in our communities. Ashton then said, “I’m just a kid and all I have is loose change … how can that change lives?” And it was like a light bulb turned on, she looked at her mother and smiled and asked if she had any change. “At first we had no idea where she was going with this,” Kim said. “I gave her my change and she said, “momma when I put your change with mine I have a lot. Can you imagine what a lot of people’s change would do together?”
When asked where she was going to get change, she said she would ask her pastor at their church for help. She then made her sign and change bucket and took it to church. The pastor was very interested in Ashton’s request and was happy to help. She set up shop at church and started talking to people as they entered.
Ashton also stood in front of the congregation with Charlene Buzza from the GIFT food pantry and it has taken off from there. She has also spoken to the manager at Save-A-Lot and set up a booth at their store Oct. 31 collecting change.
Ashton will be in Easton on Dec. 5 at the craft fair at Easton Elementary School and she would love to talk to other kids, churches, schools or anyone else who will listen on how they too can make a change out of change.
She says she feels like David from the Bible story about David and Goliath. At first, she didn’t know what to do, but with God’s help she knows just like David she can defeat any giant and maybe even this giant thing called hunger.
In just four weeks of collecting change, Ashton has been able to buy just over 300 items for GIFT. She has also collected six garbage bags full of clothes, coats, and shoes and gave those to Grace United Methodist Church’s thrift shop ministry in Bangor.
The Embelton family feels blessed for the love and support from their church family at Grant Memorial United Methodist Church in Presque Isle. They have helped Ashton in so many ways.
So if you see Ashton, please dig for some change. Remember, loose change changes lives.
