Glen Burnie Sisters Celebrate Birthdays By Helping Others

GLEN BURNIE, MD — Two thoughtful little girls from Glen Burnie have had a big impact on their community. Grace and Faith Kozushko celebrated their birthdays in May and June, respectively, and the only thing they wanted for their birthday was non-perishable foods. Why? So the sisters could donate them to the local food pantry and help families in need during the coronavirus pandemic.

After the girls' mom, Lynn, took them on a drive-by celebration for 9-year-old Grace's godfather who had just finished three years of chemo, 7-year-old Faith and Grace were inspired to host a similar drive-by birthday party where people could leave their donations for the family's church's food pantry.

"We never imagined it would be this big," Kozushko told Patch. "I shared it on my Facebook page and made a private Facebook event page and asked those that usually come to their yearly birthday bowling party to participate. A neighbor shared a screenshot of my post to several local sites and it just got big from there. We ended up collecting 1,153 pounds of food for our church’s food pantry for Grace's birthday."

When Faith's birthday rolled around, the family was thrilled with the generosity people showed during her birthday drive-by donation project, too. Faith has always been a compassionate, empathetic soul. Her sister, Grace, was born with a bone disorder called Multiple Hereditary Exostosis. Since she was one, she has endured 14 surgeries to remove non-cancerous bone growths. She also has autism and a sensory processing disorder.

"Because of Grace’s struggles, Faith is acutely aware of the needs of those around her. The two girls have an enormous amount of empathy for those around them. We are extremely lucky to have two littles that are incredibly bonded to each other and filled with so much caring," Kozushko said.

Since Grace is considered high-risk during the coronavirus pandemic, the sisters couldn't have their annual birthday bowling party but instead chose to safely make a big difference in their little corner of the world.

"We firmly believe in learning by doing. Empathy is certainly a gift," Kozushko told Patch. "It’s pretty amazing what happens when you simply ask 'What do you want to do to help?'”