For years, Lloyd High School’s Destiny Owen’s birthday tradition has been to give gifts to her birthday party guests.
Thanks to the success of her Sweet 16 birthday wish, she now has a bigger and broader-reaching birthday tradition.
Destiny Owens with her holiday outreach gifts — ready to share with others. (Photo provided)
For the past three years, Destiny Owen of Elsmere has organized her birthday Holiday Outreach helping kids and families who are struggling during the holidays.
“I want to encourage and show people that even when times are hard and they feel alone, there is always someone in our community who cares,” she sats.
Several organizations partnered with this loving teen leader who is a Girl Scout and model for Autism Awareness to help make her Sweet 18th Birthday wish of helping children and families come true!
Destiny Owen has battled health issues, bullying, and now as a Girl Scout, young art activist, she advocates for student safety getting the City of Elsmere to pass a Safe Students and Schools Resolution in October.
And she uses opportunities like her birthday outreach to work on healing by helping others.
With the help of her parents, Larry Owen, a retired teacher, US Marine Veteran and Kenton County Soil & Water District Conservation Board Supervisor, her mother Elsmere Councilwoman Serena Owen, Erlanger Councilwoman Renee Wilson, and support from local organizations like the First Baptist Church of Elsmere, the Freestore Foodbank, B and L Beauty Supply, United Christian Volunteers, St. Vincent DePaul, Community Heroes, and United We Stand, Destiny collected and distributed over $2,000 worth of personal necessities, coats, hats, gloves, scarves, toys, books, and over 4,200 pounds of food.
She helped more than 400 people and families in her local schools and community.
After a successful effort again this year, Destiny wanted to take time to say, “Thank you to generous donors and volunteers for your support with helping kids, families, helping me and others with mental illness begin to heal, and for making dreams come true! Happy Holidays!”
Destiny’s helpers pitch in: Photos provided
