Pacific Beach social worker Thera Storm is proud that her 4-year-old daughter Carlisle (Carlie) Joy Storm is being positively influenced by her humanism.
Last month, Thera read Carlie a story from San Diego Zoo’s ZooNooz magazine titled “Hanging on by a Limb,” about donating to feed baby animals. That story prompted Carlie to request that her upcoming fourth birthday party be turned into a fundraiser for “baby bears,” much to the delighted surprise of her mother. “The article said $30 pays for a week’s worth of formula for a baby bear,” said Thera. “[Carlie] said, ‘We need $30. We need to do a fundraiser.’”
So Thera, a certified grief recovery specialist, and husband Nate, came up with having a “penny pop-a-thon” at Carlie’s birthday party.
“We will put bubble wrap on the floor and give each child a pedometer,” Thera said. “The kids will get to jump on the bubble wrap for three minutes. Parents have been asked to donate a ‘penny per pop’ (whatever the pedometer reads after three minutes).”
The birthday pop-a-thon will be Saturday, April 6 from 11 a.m. to 12:40 p.m. at PB Woman’s Club at 1721 Hornblend St. 
“We think it will be a fun event and we are just so excited to teach [Carlie] the importance of donating our time, money and talents to organizations that are fighting for vulnerable populations – even bear cubs,” said Thera. 
Storm has also been teaching her daughter social responsibility by picking up trash with her during their daily strolls.
“We have gloves now in the stroller, and our goal is to pickup up three pieces of trash a day,” she said. “I’m trying to teach her about taking care of vulnerable populations. I’ve also had her handing out sack lunches to people on the streets in Pacific Beach. It’s cool to see her wanting to take care of other people, even the little bears.”
Of their success in teaching their daughter social responsibility in caring for the less fortunate, Thera said, “It’s heartwarming.”