INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — An Indianapolis firefighter and his family say they were inspired by the generosity of a little girl they were paired up with as part of a holiday shopping program and it made them want to do more to help her and her family.
Sondre Byndum and her two daughters, 9 and 12, had been living out of a car for the past few months. They recently moved into an apartment, but they couldn’t afford beds or anything else to fill it.
Byndum’s little girls were recently selected to participate in the Indianapolis Fire Department’s “Clothe a Child” program and her 9-year-old, Angel, was paired up with firefighter Rob McClara and his wife, Toni.
The couple says they were inspired by the little girl who cared more about giving and others than what she was supposed to be getting from them.
“She truly is an angel,” Toni said. “She was more concerned about others than she was about getting clothes for herself. She was really interested in myself and my husband and what we like to do for activities and little did we know, she was plotting her plan to repay us for that.”
Rob and Toni were so touched by Angel’s heart, that they started a fundraiser to buy beds for her and her mother and sister. the fundraiser had already collected more than $3,000 when Longs Furniture World in Franklin stepped up to donate new beds for the family.
The McClaras say the money they’ve raised will now be used to buy the family other things that they need to fill their home.