Gianni Graham’s bedroom in Norfolk, Virginia is currently filled with 700 Barbie dolls, and she hopes to collect a few hundred more in her quest to get 1,000 dolls to homeless girls her age.
“There are Barbies everywhere. It’s like we’re living in Barbie-land!” Gianni’s mother Whitney Graham told ABC News. “But Gianni has no plans to open or play with the Barbies.”
The innovative 9-year-old started her project, called “1K Barbies for 1K Girls,” a few days after Christmas, her mother said.
“Girls in shelters deserve the same things we have,” Gianni explained.
“I was playing one day, and it just came to me that I could collect Barbies to help girls in need,” she added.
Although Gianni only had five dolls when she began the project, the local news caught wind of her story, and dozens of dolls began to flood their home as people pitched in to help. The story hit Facebook, and now hundreds of dolls have been arriving from around the world as Gianni gets closer and closer to her goal.
Each of the Barbies is wrapped in pink paper and a note from Gianni, with the notes saying things like “I hope this brings you joy,” and “This is given to you as a friend.”
“I’m so proud of her, I cry every day,” Graham said. “Her school is actually doing a Black History Month program soon, and they’re dedicating an entrepreneurial segment to Gianni.”
If you’d like to learn more about how you can help Gianni’s cause, visit 1kbarbiesfor1kgirls.com.