KNOX COUNTY, Ill. — Two girls in Knox County have been spreading holiday cheer for five years.
Baylie and Harper Mayfield, with the help of their parents, collect scrap metal and use the money from it to purchase presents for children on the Salvation Army Angel Tree.
"Junk 4 Jingles" had humble beginnings. In their first year, they bought gifts for 38 kids. Now, they’re hoping to share Christmas cheer with nearly 150 children in need.
“Knowing how much the number has gone up for how many kids sign up for the Angel Tree," Baylie said, "it has kind of encouraged us to shop for more each year.”
"It has become quite the project for our family," the girls' mother, Briget Mayfield, said.
This year, in addition to year-round help from family, the girls' peers at Galesburg Christian School (GCS) joined the effort. After Baylie’s speech at her school’s chapel, her friends signed up to help.
“Baylie is very young, but she does a lot of adult things," volunteer and GCS junior Lydia Reed said. "It’s surprising for a high school student to see a junior higher doing such great things for the community.”
“She talked about the mustard seed, how one little thing, one little moment, one little thought, or one little idea can have such a growing and impactful statement in a community," Briget said.
Last year, Junk 4 Jingles officially became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, allowing students to earn their required service hours by volunteering. However, Briget said it is almost a necessity to have the extra help.
"It’s not possible for one or just a couple of us to do this," she said, laughing. "A couple of boys in particular, they pester me, like, 'When are we going to get scrap again?' and that’s been really awesome."
It’s an experience that has been impactful for those receiving donations. The Mayfield family said they have been approached by people whose children were on the tree, saying they believed Junk 4 Jingles helped make their Christmas season special
Baylie was nominated for WQAD and Ascentra Credit Union's Pay It Forward Award back in 2021. Junk 4 Jingles was also one of WQAD's regional nominees for the 2024 Jefferson Awards.
"It just brings a lot of people together," Baylie said.