Ever since she could draw, 7-year-old Alia's favorite thing to create has been a rainbow. Something about the bright colors lifted her spirits.
Then one day, she met an artist named Carol Marques, who runs an art and community project called Word Rocks.
The project involves painting a positive, inspirational word on a rock, and then leaving it somewhere for someone else to find, and hopefully brighten their day.
Alia was inspired to start a project of her own. If rainbows helped her feel better, then maybe they could help someone else, too.
And if she could get people to buy rocks and spread some rainbow cheer themselves, then she could use the money to help people in her own community.
Like the family who leaves decorated rocks and sticks around their community to make things a little happier, Alia and her mom now leave rocks painted with Alia's signature rainbow around their San Francisco Bay Area home. And they want you to share some rainbows, too.
Check out the project and how it helps real people in the community, and how something as simple as a rock can make the world a better place.
Alia loves drawing and painting rainbows — and, inspired by an artist who left happy words on rocks for others to find, she decided to leave her rainbow rocks around her home in the Bay Area.
She's left rocks on beaches, in parks, along hiking trails, and even on the Golden Gate Bridge itself.
But while she was doing this, her mom Agnes — who runs craft site Hello, Wonderful — saw the potential for something bigger.
She suggested to Alia that the rocks could go to helping people in a practical way. Not only could they make someone smile, but they could actually help people in need.
And Alia, who already knew of the plight of homeless people, agreed immediately.
They set up a system. Alia would paint the rocks, and for a donation of just $1, she would find a special place for it out in the world.
All of the proceeds are donated to the Bay Area Rescue Mission, which provides resources for homeless people in the Bay Area.
Alia creates the rainbows with chalk paint pens, and she and her mom leave them all around their community. The rocks are also spray-sealed so the paint doesn't wash off.
And the project was an immediate success.
"Within just a day of launch, my daughter's already reached half her goal!" Agnes reports happily. "It speaks to the power of people banding together quickly for a good cause!"
And they don't just have a rainbow.
Each rock also includes a short uplifting message from Alia that reads, "Here's a rock from me to you / that grants wishes and happiness, too!"
And of course others can paint their own rocks, too, and connect with Alia and her mom via the hashtag #rainbowrockproject.
Alia hopes that people all over the country will participate, and maybe even start local chapters of their own to help their own communities.
Thanks to Alia's idea and her mom's social media savviness, we might see this project taking off soon!
As for Alia, her goal is to sell 500 rocks and donate the proceeds ($500) to the Bay Area Rescue Mission.
You can learn more on the Rainbow Rock Project's website, and chip in a dollar on their donation page to help someone in need!
And please SHARE this kind little girl's project and make the world a better place!
