Whiz Kid: Hille Eighth-Grader Revs Up Holiday Food Drive

You might remember , a teenager whose big heart brought in some hefty donations for local food pantries last holiday season. What started as a single-church effort turned into a multi-faceted mission taken up by the , the Oak Forest Youth Commission and Oak Forest residents.

Marley's back at it again this season, folks.

A brand new holiday season means a fresh start for . She's requesting donations of non-perishable food items for her community's poor.

"It's just really fun to give to people, instead of always receiving from others," Marley said.

Residents can find four receptacles for the Marley Project positioned throughout Oak Forest.

One hundred percent of all donations go directly to local area residents in need of food on their tables, said Majetic's mother, Lisa Hines.

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Somebody's Food Drive Is Growing Up

Marley and her mother now are in the process of making Marley Project a government-recognized nonprofit organization. Both Marley and her mother said they would like the Marley Project to have its own pantry in Oak Forest in the future.

They're currently considering two churches in Oak Forest for housing The Marley Project, Hines said. Last year's drive yielded approximately $200–500 in food; a similar Eastertime effort brought in 300 pounds of food.

Over the summer, Tinley Park Community Church (her church) spun her act of charity on a small scale onto a much larger one. The church created the Marley International Fund, collecting money to send to Africa for hunger relief efforts. The church collected $125.

What Else Makes Her a Whiz Kid

In addition to her efforts with the food drive, Marley is also an active member of the Youth Commission and president of National Junior Honor Society at . She enjoys playing flute in the, and volunteering with the commission.

But don't ask her to choose a favorite volunteer experience.

"It's all really fun," she said. "Either way, we're helping out the community."

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