In place of birthday gifts, Leah Crabtree donated more then 200 pounds of food to the Sequim Food Bank following her 9th birthday Nov. 16.

Crabtree’s contribution marks the second consecutive year the young donor has requested food items instead of presents from her birthday guests in order to make a difference in others’ lives.

“Some kids don’t have what I have and I feel bad,” Crabtree said. “I really like doing it.”

Inspired to contribute to her community at the young age of 7, Crabtree has decided to continue the tradition of giving for her birthday.

“I want to keep doing it,” Crabtree said. “It makes me happy.”

Although Crabtree donated a variety of food, her targeted item was soup simply because it’s a personal favorite and she believes everyone should be able to enjoy it, she said.

Some family members and friends unable to attend the birthday party still sent money to assist in Crabtree’s community effort and without hesitation Crabtree used any birthday earnings to buy more food for the cause.

“Growing up, the food bank helped my family,” Crabtree’s mom, Holly Crabtree, said. “I am proud of Leah and she knows it helped our family and she just wanted to do the same thing for other people.”

Given Crabtree’s birthday falls shortly before Thanksgiving, she is able to make her donation during the food bank’s most demanding time of the year. Last November and December the food bank distributed 1,700 holiday meals, Mark Ozias, executive director of Sequim Food Bank, said, and anticipates this year to be the same.

“I hope what she (Crabtree) does is inspirational,” Ozias said. “It is inspirational to me and I just think it is really neat that someone so young would be so thoughtful.”

Within the Sequim School District boundaries, the Sequim Food Bank provides roughly 70,000 pounds of food per month, Ozias said. Additionally, just shy of one-third of the food provided goes toward someone under 18 years old.

Reflecting on last year’s numbers, Ozias has noticed a 10-12 percent increase in need and about a 10 percent increase of new individuals.

The food bank often works with local youth organizations, such as the Boy and Girl Scout troops, and is staffed by middle and high school student volunteers on Saturdays, but Ozias said Crabtree is probably the food bank’s youngest donor.

Acknowledging the local niche the food bank serves and to support her daughter’s innate desire for community involvement, Holly Crabtree said she and Leah already are looking forward to next year and hope to get involved with a soup kitchen.