Twins dream up talent show to help fight homelessness
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Lincoln Journal Star
Haleigh Fitzsimmons dreams of a day when no one is homeless or hungry.
A day when all kids can sleep in their very own beds, in a home that Santa Claus knows how to find.
But until then, she’s gonna dance. And play piano.
And her twin sister, Hannah, will do gymnastics and play violin.
They and a small group of friends will take their talents to the stage at Christ Lutheran Church and present Talents With a Purpose — a talent show to raise money and gifts for the People’s City Mission.
Haleigh and Hannah are 8. So are their co-stars and friends.
Most have been with Talents With a Purpose since they were 5 years old — when Haleigh had her dream about making a difference.
“When I was 5, I dreamed about going on the streets and dancing with a bucket to make money for the homeless,” Haleigh said.
“The idea just came to me.”
Mom and dad, Renee and Chris Fitzsimmons, weren’t too crazy about their little girls dancing on street corners, so Renee came up with a compromise— if Haleigh found a different venue, mom would do anything needed to help the show go on.
They turned to Christ Lutheran Church, 4325 Sumner St., where the family attended.
“I saw how big and glorious that stage was, and I pictured myself dancing on it, and I thought that picture looked pretty good,” Haleigh said.
That first year, they raised $275 from about 15 people attending the show.
Last year, about 40 people came to the show. The girls raised $325 plus toys, school supplies, hats, gloves, scarves and toiletries, to fill 40 care packages — one for every child living at the mission.
The care packages were Hannah’s idea, explained Haleigh.
Like her twin sister, Hannah wanted to end homelessness. Hannah’s original plan was to build little houses in her backyard so all the people living at the mission would have a home of their own.
“We have a big yard,” Hannah said peering out the family’s picture window.
Care packages were more manageable. They asked businesses — like Wal-Mart and Target — to contribute.
This year, there are 80 children living in the mission, Chris Fitzsimmons told his children. And with the difficult economic climate, business contributions are down.
“Eighty kids,” a wide-eyed Haleigh repeated.
She cannot imagine what it must be like. Kids whose parents “lost their homes in tornadoes and fires.” Kids “whose parents don’t want them anymore, or can’t take care of them.” She shakes her head sadly.
She thinks back to the first time she learned about homelessness. The family was on the way to Arkansas to see grandma. Haleigh asked about a disheveled man she saw on a street corner. Her parents explained that the man was homeless.
Along the way the family encountered several people in need — the family bought coffee for one, lunch for another, bread for another and gave a blanket to someone else.
At first she was scared of the homeless people, Haleigh said.
“But they’re just regular people. And that’s all I need to know,” she said.
A smile crosses her lips as she brainstorms what this year’s show will bring. The twins’ friends Jessica and Mikayla Kiefel, also twins, have gotten on board with all the planning and organizing.
Haleigh is the show’s choreographer and producer. Her mom, Renee, officially is the stage manager.
There are several acts, costume changes, solo performances and at least one ensemble number where everyone is on stage together.
“I don’t want anybody to feel left out because they can’t dance,” Haleigh said.
The show is about 30 minutes long.
Afterward people are invited to gather for refreshments, and help wrap any gift donations that are received.
Then at 3:30 p.m. Haleigh and Hannah will head over to the People’s City Mission, where they will deliver the donations, and spend some time doing crafts with the children.
It will be a big day, Haleigh said. And with luck, it will continue to get bigger until there is no longer a need.
“Every year I would like to do this — maybe until I am 21 years old,” Haleigh said.
Reach Erin Andersen at 473-7217 or eandersen@journalstar.com.
If you go
What: Talents With a Purpose, children’s talent show to benefit the People’s City Mission.
When: 1:30 p.m. Dec. 7
Where: Christ Lutheran Church, 4325 Sumner St.
Admission: Freewill donation. People also may bring donations of children’s toys; as well as care package supplies of hats, scarves, mittens and gloves; toothbrushes and toothpaste; hairbrushes and combs and school supplies, which will be given to each of the children living at the mission.
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