Tulare girl gives up birthday party to feed homeless

Emily Briseno gets a birthday party every year thanks to her large extended family.

But this year, this 9-year-old Tulare girl decided she didn't want another party with up to 50 in attendance all toting gift-wrapped packages for her. She told her parents she wanted to feed the homeless instead.

About half of the usual party still arrived at the designated time on March 7, but Emily organized them into three groups: sandwich makers, card and paper bag decorators and fleece-tie blanket makers.

In a lunch sack, they included a blessed crucifix, sandwich, string cheese, juice, orange, water, toothbrush, toothpaste and a homemade card. Notes written on the card included messages of hope such as "God bless you," "Jesus is with you" and "I hope you have a great lunch."

Afterward, Emily and her family traveled in three vehicles to likely homeless haunts in Tulare such as the skate park and Zumwalt Park but they didn't find any homeless people there.

Someone suggested they go to the bus station in Tulare. There, they found about 15 men and women milling about. Emily approached them.

"I said 'Would you like a lunch' and they said, 'yes,'" she said.

Her mother, Sonia Briseno, 34, said they didn't want to offend anyone. When she asked if anyone was hungry, they all perked up.

Emily said it was a good experience.

"I felt really happy that I was able to help them," she said.

Her father, A.J., 33, said Emily has always noticed homeless people and wants to give them money or food.

"She wanted to make lunch for the homeless," he said. "It was all her idea."

Emily was surprised there were so many homeless people, she said.

One homeless man spoke to her in Spanish and encouraged her to spread the love of God in the world. Many of them wished her happy birthday.

"They told us 'God bless you,'" her mother said.

In the car, Emily was very excited and couldn't stop smiling.

"This is awesome," she told her mother.

Sonia teared up as she recalled the moment.

One old man they gave a lunch to at the softball fields on Prosperity Avenue told Emily never to smoke. He had just found out the week before he has Stage 2 lung cancer.

Another homeless person shared his sandwich with his dog, Sonia said. The next day, they saw four homeless people in a store parking lot so they gave them food.

"When we can, we will help," Sonia said.

Emily is in the third grade. She is an altar server at St. Rita's Catholic Church and plays softball in her spare time.

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