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Giving back to the soldiers becomes ... HER CROWNING GLORY
By Sean Barron
CRAIG BEACH
It breaks 7-year-old Cloey Essa’s heart to know that many soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan won’t be with loved ones for the holidays.
“It makes me really, really, really sad,” the Jackson-Milton Elementary School first-grader said.
Her emotion likely stems from personal experience.
Her father, James Anthony, a member of the Austintown-based 583rd Military Police Detachment, has been on several lengthy overseas deployments. He served two one-year tours of duty in Iraq and one tour in Kuwait.
Instead of wallowing in her sadness, however, Cloey became proactive by organizing an effort to send care packages to those fighting overseas.
It didn’t take long for word of her project to spread, as evidenced by the dozen or so youngsters who assisted Cloey earlier this month at her Lakewood Avenue home.
They busily assembled boxes that contained items such as toothpaste, hand and body lotion, shaving cream, candy, notebooks, deodorant and gum — all to go to many of those fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Also lending a hand were Cloey’s brother, Dakota, and sister, Gracie, 8 and 10, respectively.
“Once she sets her mind to something, she’s 100 percent into it,” Anthony said, noting that it could take four to six weeks for recipients to receive their boxes. “It’s pretty amazing someone her age wants to take on a task like this.”
Cloey was quite the hit when she and her mother, Chrystal Paszkowski, spent three hours accepting donations Nov. 13 at the Brew Basket Cafe & Gifts in Newton Falls.
Cloey received money and items for more boxes headed for Afghanistan — not to mention plenty of accolades — and talked to people, including veterans, Paszkowski said.
In keeping with the project’s theme, Cloey was dressed in military garb that contained patches her father had worn in Iraq, Paszkowski continued.
“It was very emotional,” she added.
Mother and daughter will be accepting donations through Nov. 30. To donate, call Paszkowski at 330-599-3646 or e-mail chrystal.cloey@yahoo.com.
Items also can be dropped off at the Lake Milton Police Department, 15992 Milton Ave., Lake Milton; Ted’s Ashland Oil, 17769 Mahoning Ave., Lake Milton; and the Brew Basket Cafe & Gifts, 44 W. Broad St., Newton Falls.
Reaching beyond herself is nothing new to Cloey, who recently asked her mother about what homeless people have to endure.
Shortly after her mother’s explanation, the two started a bake sale that raised about $330, much of which went to a local shelter to help homeless children.
“I learned that they live on the streets, don’t have food and might be cold, things like that,” Cloey added.
With such a tendency to give back, it seems fitting that the outgoing youngster was named International Little Miss Buckeye Tourism 2010, a title she is expected to maintain by performing community-service projects and showing respect to others.
The 12-year-old International Miss Tourism Pageant is open to girls 5 and older. It’s designed to help participants enhance personal development, goals and growth, with an emphasis on encouraging the girls to be role models, perform community service and make a difference in others’ lives, according to its website, www.internationalmisstourism.com.
“She just wants to be a role model to little kids,” Paszkowski said. “She figured ‘I’m only 7 and this is what I can do for the world.’”
In keeping with the spirit of giving back, Paszkowski founded (Lucky)to be Alive, a nonprofit organization intended to provide encouragement, advice and resources to those facing difficulties such as an eviction, marital problems, spousal abuse and a lack of food and other necessities.
Since it was launched about two years ago, the organization has reached out to battered women and children as well as homeless people, Paszkowski recalled, adding that she hopes to see it continue to grow.