ANDERSON, Ind. — A 7-year-old girl from Anderson is making a difference in the lives of strangers who are going through a tough time.
Ray is putting together backpacks full of items like pajamas, a toothbrush and crafts to donate to Community Hospital Anderson's Sexual Assault Treatment Center. The hospital will give the bags to those in need, like kids who are being removed from a dangerous situation and placed in foster care.
"These backpacks provide lots of good stuff that will make that child feel more comfortable in the really awful situation that they're in," said Holly Renz, the center's program director.
"I explained to her that a lot of these kids leave their homes without anything and she wanted to give them something of their own," said Ray's mother, Samantha Loyd.
Ray got the inspiration for the bags after reading a story in a magazine about a Girl Scouts troop doing something similar.
So far, she's raised more than $2,700. It costs $25 to sponsor a backpack. You can find more information about donating at the Facebook page, "Ray's Journey Packs."