I know candy is sweet but not as sweet as my grandma. My grandma’s name is Debbie Pryor, but I call her Grandma Debbie. My grandma has taught me to be thankful for all my blessings and to remember that I can make a difference in other kids’ lives just by being kind and nice to other kids.

A few summers ago, I was worried because I had a friend that did not have a lot of food to eat. Grandma asked me what I could do to help my friend. I had to think about it because I had no job, because I was only nine years old. I talked to my grandma, and we made a list of things I could do to help my friend and other kids during summer. Kids depend on food they get from the lunch ladies at school, and many kids do not have food when school is out. My grandma made some phone calls and within an hour, we were using my grandma’s home to support the Summer Meals Program for kids to get breakfast and lunch during the summer. Guess what, I even got to hand out the meals! Also, I do chores during the year to buy canned soups to give to my school before the Christmas Break, and the office takes the food to the kids!

My Grandma has taught me to be nice to everyone because we do not always know what that person might be going through. I try to say “hi” and smile to the kids in the hall. Grandma told me a story about a little girl who was bullied as a kid in school, and I could tell that it made her even sad, so now I stand up for any kid that is being bullied, and I tell the bullies to stop and cut it out. I would not have the courage to do this had my grandma not told me that story.

Grandma has taught me to work hard in school and when I get a bad grade work harder to get an A. All this is because of my grandma. I think she deserves the Kentucky Grandparent of the Year because she has made me a better person.

If my Grandma is not Kentucky Grandparent of the Year, I will still and always love her the same as I do right now.

‘Sweeter than candy’