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Here is Victoria handing over a donation check to operations director Jennifer Lackey.
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Photo courtesy of Michael Skrobis
Left to right: Trinda Gage, Assistant Development Department; Jennifer Lackey, LPC, Operations Director; Victoria Ann Skrobis, 7 years old; Jim C. Hamil, Development Director at King's Home.
While planning her birthday party in May, Victoria “Tori” Skrobis knew she didn’t want presents. She wanted to give back.
A first grader at Mt Laurel Elementary School, Tori has told her parents multiple times that she wanted to collect money for those less fortunate than her. Two years ago, Tori said she wanted to paint as a way to raise and save money to donate, her mother, Lizbeth Skorbis said.
“I did not take her seriously,” she said. It was not until a few months ago, when Tori started crying as she talked about raising money for others, that Lizbeth Skrobis realized how serious her daughter was about this project.
“For the longest time Tori would tell us she doesn’t care about money,” said Michael Skrobis, Tori’s father. “That when she gets a job she wants to give it all away to help children. She would always ask us how she could help.”
Seeing their daughter’s passion, the Skrobis family looked for a place to start through their church, St. Mark’s. Rev. Joseph Culotta, or “Father Joe” recommended continuing to donate through their church’s food collection program.
“This apparently wasn’t enough for her,” said Michael Skrobis.
That’s when the idea of using her birthday party as a way to collect donations, rather than presents, arose. At that time, Tori decided to give the money to King’s Home in Chelsea, which she had heard of through a past Mt Laurel sock drive.
Tori had her birthday party at Painting with a Twist on May 21. Painting with a Twist provided an artist painting to be raffled off during the party, allowing Tori to collect more donations.
She collected more than $300 and presented that money to King’s Home’s operations director Jennifer Lackey, development director Jim Hamil and Trinda Gage on May 26, one day before her birthday.
“She was speechless,” Lizbeth Skrobis said. “She was so happy. She was like, ‘We got a lot of money, mom.'”
After seeing her daughter get so excited to give back, Lizbeth Skrobis said it made her feel good to know her children are willing to work to help others.
“It just makes me want to cry,” she said. “They have so much. When I grew up, I didn’t have that much, and I knew how to appreciate what all I had. … After seeing how my kids are, they do appreciate what we give them, and they do want to give back.”