"[Marissa Langevin] has been donating to The Home for more than two years," her mother Lauren Langevin explained. "The whole concept of kids helping kids hits home for her. Truly, she understands that the world is bigger than just her and she is fortunate and wants to help other children. We're proud of her for that."

"Becoming a Bar or Bat Mitzvah is the time when moral awareness and sensitivity fully develops, enabling young people to take responsibility for their actions," said Lisa Rowan-Gillis, vice president of development for The Home for Little Wanderers. "During this time of spiritual and moral growth it's vital that the children and their families find fulfillment and meaning in their affiliation with a nonprofit."

Rebecca DeFranc would agree. "After researching several charities, we were struck by how helpful and organized The Home for Little Wanderers was throughout this entire mitzvah project. They made it really easy and encouraged kids of all ages to get involved," she explained. "This was a great experience for our entire family and a great lesson for [Joey], as it also taught him how to fulfill cookie orders, budget and buy the school supplies. It was a hands-on project that Joey was able to commit his time and energy to in the spirit of helping others. Everyone was so supportive and now Joey is already thinking about another fundraising project."