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Instead of gifts, Kitsap County girl asks to help homeless

Instead of having her parents pay for a birthday party, 8-year-old Kirah asked that they spend the money on efforts to "do something to help the homeless."

It all started with a question to her dad -- how much did you spend on my birthday last year?

When she heard it was a few hundred dollars, a light bulb went off in 8-year-old Kirah Lukin's head.

"She asked me if we could take that money and instead of having a birthday party, do something to help the homeless," said her father, Chris Lukin.

On Sunday, Kirah fulfilled her birthday wish at the Bremerton Salvation Army.

Not only did her family buy enough food for 30 bagged lunches, Kirah and her two friends decorated 30 other bags with phrases like 'Be Yourself' and 'Out of All of the Fish in the Sea, I Picked You," and filled them with items like toothbrushes, deodorant and socks.

Kirah and her family and friends spent the afternoon handing them out to people in need in Bremerton.

"Instead of taking, she's giving and that's beautiful," said Chris.

When asked why she did this, soft-spoken Kirah answered, "Because it's nice."

She and her father hope her act of kindness inspires other kids to give back, proving that you can be compassionate at any age.

"If you were like that, you would like people to help you," Kirah said.

Gloria, a volunteer at the Salvation Army, says she was touched by Kirah's compassion.

"It was overwhelming to see someone who has that much compassion for a 9-year-old and to give of herself and of her time like that."

Kirah turns 9 on Tuesday.

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