While many 8-year-olds beg for iPads or video games for their birthdays, Isabel Garcia asked for food.

Isabel isn’t hungry, but she knows that plenty of children her age are. Hence, she asked the kids coming to her 8th birthday party to bring gifts of food rather than toys. In an effort to show that kids can make a difference, she planned to donate to a local food bank.

Isabel’s family had read about the food shortage at Together We Cope in Tinley Park, where south-suburban children and their parents receive donations of food, clothing and school supplies to help make ends meet in tough times. At the beginning of September, while planning her party, Isabel decided to dedicate this year’s birthday to Together We Cope.

Although she just turned 8, Isabel is becoming an old pro at turning her birthday parties into charitable events. For her 7th birthday, she collected donations for the food bank at St. Damian Church in Oak Forest.

This September, Isabel’s mother Amy Garcia drove the family to Together We Cope. The family presented the food pantry with a shopping cart full of groceries – from large boxes of cereal to canned soups — and cash donations Isabel received for her 8th birthday, which she celebrated swimming with friends at a local recreation center.

“Being able to help others is the best gift of all," Isabel told volunteers at the food pantry. "I really wanted to show that kids can make a difference, just like grown-ups can."

Located on Oak Park Avenue in Tinley Park, Together We Cope (www.togetherwecope.com) is a non-profit agency assisting south-suburban families in times of temporary financial crisis. The agency provides food, clothing and school supplies to more than 20 communities via its food pantry, resale shop and back-to-school program. During the holidays, Together We Cope’s Adopt-a-Child program brings gifts to hundreds of local children.