Daily Inspiration: Meet Catalina Campos

Today we’d like to introduce you to Catalina Campos

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I’m Catalina Campos, Im 10-years-old and I’m the founder of CIRCUL KC. I was three when I started volunteering at my mom’s work, I passed out candy canes to Seniors Citizens. That same year I received the title, Miss. Armour Oaks Community Service, for raising $25 for Armour Oaks Senior Living Community. I love helping people and I really love the elderly community. As time went on candy canes turned into door hangers and socks. Fast Forward to 2021, my Mom and Stepdad became concerned with the education I was receiving in public school. I was being bullied and with all the distractions in the classroom I struggled learning. We decided to give homeschool a try. As time went on, I began to have more “FREE” time. I began creating new ways to give back to those in need. I started visiting local cemeteries to clean gravesites overgrown with weeds and grass, picking up litter in local parks and visiting local Senior Facilities during the holidays to pass out cards or candy. This started to become a financial burden on my family, but they knew that God had given me a gift, and that was to SERVE. My parents came together to explain their financial concerns and brainstorm ways I could continue serving Seniors and the community without breaking the bank. My mom taught me what a non-profit was and that starting a business might be the best route. After much consideration and education, we decided to go all in. Receiving investments from family and friends the CIRCUL KC was created. Now I can serve our community in much bigger ways.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
No not at all. I’m only 10. There have been many struggles. I have ADHD, so I can ramble when I talk, or lose focus very easily. My mom has taught me different techniques and given me tools to stay focused and communicate better. Some times I zone out during interviews or TV appearances and lose my track of thought. Learning that it was ok to politely ask the interviewer to repeat the question helped my alot! When you are running a business at 10 with ADHD it can be difficult if You don’t have the right people in your corner. I have so many ideas in my head and sometimes it’s hard for me to sort through them or to figure out what idea God is giving me and would idea my ADHD is putting in my head. Having my mom and my corner has been the best thing for me. She takes my ideas and we talk about them We talk about financially if it’s possible and what it’s going to take to achieve my end goal. And we sort through them that way. Sometimes I get frustrated easily and I had to learn to chill out and let things go with the flow. I had to learn how to make eye contact how does shake someone’s hand I had to learn so many things that was difficult for me having my disorder. And now I look back at TV interviews I’ve done and I think wow can you believe that’s me.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
The CIRCUL KC is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to helping senior citizens and others in need in our community. We do this by teaching other kids my age how to give back and how to serve the community. We do this through our volunteer program. Most of our work revolves around senior citizens. We called monthly bingo at local facilities , We take flowers to Mom’s on mother’s Day we take gifts to veterans on veterans Day We just want to show our seniors that we love them and that we’re here for them. I also started a charity called grandparents closet. Grandparents closet is my most successful and proudest accomplishment I have. We collect donations from the community and we give them to senior citizens who are in need. We collect walkers wheelchairs personal care items medical supplies adult briefs clothes shoes activities for them to do office supplies for them, household items kitchen items anything you can think of that you would need to function in your daily life we try to provide that to them. I love grandparents closet I love seeing senior citizens happy. We have other projects like the fetch project where we collect donations from the community and give them to local animal shelters in need. We will be starting the sprout project fall 2024 where we will start collecting items for children who are in need. These charity projects mean so much to me it really allows me to help those in need in a huge way. And I couldn’t do it without the help of my family and my friends they help volunteer my mom make sure that all the paperwork and documents are online My stepdad helps out financially which I’m very grateful for and my friends and my family they volunteer at all our events. Without them I couldn’t achieve my goals I couldn’t live my dream and I am so thankful for all of them.

Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
The Bible and God. I do all this because God told us to go out and serve, so that’s what I’m doing. It’s all about listening to God and when HE says go you go. And there’s a powerful story behind that I collected donations to take to the Nebraska tornado victims, unfortunately all the local charities had stopped taking donations so I took the donations to Oklahoma. They were donations for senior citizens and at the time they didn’t really have anywhere that needed these donations. They were medical supplies and stuff that like senior living facilities would use. I knew God wanted me to take these donations down there but when I found out they didn’t need them I kind of was questioning why I I took over $5,000 worth of donations to Oklahoma. The next day we were contacted there had been a tornado that ripped through Oklahoma and completely demolished a senior living facility. It would take the Red Cross two to four days to get supplies to the seniors but because of my donations they were able to receive needed items with an hours.

Pricing:

• We are always accepting monetary donations to help us achieve our missions and to serve the community.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.thecirculkc.org/about.html
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551887288909&mibextid=ZbWKwL
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@circulkc?si=Q45gSE4uC9NwGGtY