MONTEREY, Calif. -- A 10-year-old girl is so touched by the devastation from Superstorm Sandy, more than 3,000 miles away, that she's taking action.
It's a lesson parents try to teach their kids all their life and Jaycie Campbell learned it at a young age.
"My step dad died in 2009, and ever since that I've always wanted to help people and this is a way I can definitely help people a lot," she said.
Campbell, a fifth grader at Monte Vista School in Monterey, wants to make a difference for those who lost everything in Superstorm Sandy.
She thinks she can make a difference just by raising pennies at her school.
She wrote a letter to her principal asking if she could start a penny drive in the classrooms.
"She was so passionate about it and the letter was so heartwarming," said Jennifer Poma, her mother. "Shes always trying to help and give back. It's just really who she is."
Campbell said she saw the devastation after the storm and it made her realize nothing is guarenteed.
"You have to be able to like what you have and like your life because it could be gone so quickly," she said.
She hopes the drive will be a hit and other schools will start doing it all over the central coast.
"I hope that i can make a difference. I don't just want to be a girl that does nothing and is selfish. I want to be able to help people in need," she said.
Monte Vista will start the drive on Monday morning and the money will be donated to the Red Cross and to victims in the devastated areas.
Reporting by Brett Martin
