A Texas teen is celebrating her high school graduation by giving back.
Leanne Carrasco, who graduated from Waltrip High School on Saturday, chose to forgo her graduation bash to provide pizza and care packages for residents at the Star of Hope Family Development Center, a homeless shelter for women and children in Houston, KTRK reported.
“I didn’t want to spend so much money either on a party, when that’s just gonna last a day,” Carrasco told the station. “I feel that if I’m able to give to the people that will last more than a day. I just want people to be able to have some stuff that they don’t normally have.”
Carrasco has volunteered at the center several times over the years, according to KTRK. Footage from the event showed residents enjoying the pizza and thanking Carrasco.
With the help of some friends, the graduate ordered 95 pizzas and made about 400 hygiene packages, including toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, soap and hand wipes, CNN reported. The group served about 200 people.
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“Not a lot of people have the same options as me. It’s not fair,” Carrasco told CNN. “There are a lot of people who need help. So I give it.”
“It was a very magical day. It gives you a hope for the youth of today,” Star of Hope spokesperson Scott Arthur, told CNN. “[The teens] were able to think of other people.”
Now, Carrasco said she plans to study nursing at Briar Cliff University in Iowa and the school praised her good deed on its Facebook page.
The event took months of planning, the student told KRIV. But the hard work certainly paid off.
“I just want to be a blessing and show these beautiful women and children that no matter what, someone does care,” she told the station.
“Parties, they don’t last that long, only a couple of hours. Probably, I won’t even remember it. But being able to give to these people, it means a lot.”
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