Northport Girl Asks for Food Pantry Donations Instead of Birthday Presents

Most children spend their birthday receiving gifts, but one Northport girl spent her ninth birthday collecting food donations for people in need.

Josephine Gleason, who attends Trinity Regional School, held a large birthday party in the third weekend of September and instead of bringing gifts, her guests brought non-perishable food items.

These items, about 20 bags of food, were dropped off Wednesday at the St. Vincent de Paul food pantry at St. Anthony of Padua Church in East Northport.

Volunteers said it was the largest donation they received from a child. They also said Josephine is the only child they knew to ask for food donations in lieu of birthday gifts.

While a rare decision, the choice isn’t rare for Josephine. She and her sister Cordelia, age 6, held a birthday party together in 2013 where they first swapped gifts for food.

“Josephine has an acute understanding of how fortunate she is to have food to eat and a desire to help those not as fortunate,” her mother, Andrea Ryan, told Patch.

According to Andrea, Josephine felt so proud dropping off the food that she felt like her heart was struck by lightning.

Doing good deeds for people in need leaves Josephine with a happier feeling than any toy she received, Andrea said.

Josephine, however, told her mother she still expects Christmas gifts this year.

Photos courtesy of Andrea Ryan

Editor's note: The story has been updated to include the correct donation location.