Beyoncé sent Christmas gifts to 25 kids in shelters — but one gift had an envelope taped underneath

The kids thought it was just a toy drop-off. But one little girl in Chicago found an envelope taped to the bottom of her new coloring set. It read: “This is the beginning of your story. Tell it loud. Tell it proud.” And inside was… ✉️🎁📖

The Gift That Started a Journey

In the heart of Chicago’s South Side, where winter winds cut through thin coats and hope sometimes felt as scarce as warmth, a shelter on 63rd Street buzzed with unexpected joy. It was two days before Christmas, and the news had spread like wildfire: Beyoncé, the global superstar whose voice lifted spirits worldwide, was sending gifts to 25 kids living in the city’s shelters. For these children, many of whom had known more hardship than holiday cheer, it was a moment that felt like magic.

Among them was 10-year-old Aisha Thompson, a quiet girl with big brown eyes and a love for stories. Aisha had been in the shelter with her mom for six months, ever since a fire took their apartment. She carried a tattered notebook everywhere, scribbling poems and tales about brave girls who conquered dragons and built castles. But in the shelter, where survival trumped dreams, her stories stayed hidden, shared only with the pages of her notebook.

The shelter’s common room was alive with chatter as volunteers handed out brightly wrapped boxes, each labeled with a child’s name. The kids tore into their gifts, squealing over dolls, action figures, and art supplies. Aisha’s box contained a deluxe coloring set—vibrant markers, crayons, and a book filled with intricate designs of queens, stars, and dreamscapes. She hugged it to her chest, her smile brighter than it had been in months. As she turned the box over, admiring its shiny wrapping, something caught her eye: a small white envelope taped to the bottom.

Curious, Aisha peeled it off. The envelope was sealed with a gold sticker, and in elegant handwriting, it read: “This is the beginning of your story. Tell it loud. Tell it proud.” Her heart raced. She glanced around, but no one else seemed to have an envelope. Was this meant for her? Trembling, she opened it. Inside was a handwritten note and a gift card for $500 to a local bookstore. The note, signed “B,” said: “Your words have power. Share them with the world. Keep writing, always.”

Aisha’s breath caught. She tucked the envelope into her jacket, afraid it might vanish. That night, in her bunk, she read the note again and again. Your words have power. She’d always loved writing, but she’d never thought it could matter. In the shelter, where days blurred into worries about food and warmth, her stories felt like childish escapes. But this note—it was like Beyoncé herself was speaking to her, telling her those stories were worth telling.

The next morning, Aisha went to the shelter’s small library, a corner with donated books and a creaky computer. She used the gift card to order a stack of books online—poetry collections, novels about young heroes, and a guide to writing stories. When they arrived, she dove in, reading voraciously and filling her notebook with new ideas. The note’s words echoed in her mind: Tell it loud. Tell it proud. She started sharing her poems at the shelter’s weekly talent night, her voice shaky at first but growing stronger with each line. The other kids listened, rapt, as she spun tales of hope and courage.

One of the shelter’s volunteers, Ms. Carter, a former teacher, noticed Aisha’s talent. “You’ve got a gift, Aisha,” she said, her eyes warm. “Let’s get you into a writing program.” Ms. Carter helped Aisha apply for a youth writing workshop at a local community center, funded by a grant for kids in need. The $500 gift card covered supplies—notebooks, pens, even a used laptop Aisha found at a thrift store. She threw herself into the workshop, learning to craft stories that blended her reality with her dreams.

A year later, Aisha’s first poem was published in a city-wide anthology for young writers. It was called “Fire and Stars,” a piece about rising from ashes to shine bright, inspired by her life and that fateful gift. At the anthology’s launch event, Aisha stood on a small stage, her coloring set and the envelope—now framed—sitting on a table beside her. She read her poem to a crowd of strangers, her voice clear and proud. The applause felt like a warm embrace.

After the event, a woman approached Aisha. It was a representative from Beyoncé’s foundation, who’d heard about the girl with the special envelope. “We chose one gift to hold that note,” she said, smiling. “Beyoncé wanted it to find someone with a spark. Looks like it found you.” Aisha’s eyes welled up. She didn’t have words, but she hugged the woman tightly, clutching her notebook.

Aisha’s journey wasn’t without challenges. There were nights when the shelter’s noise drowned out her focus, days when her mom’s stress weighed heavy. But she kept writing, her stories becoming a lifeline. By 16, she’d won a scholarship to a summer writing program at a university, her poems and short stories earning praise from mentors. She started a writing club at the shelter, teaching younger kids to tell their own stories. “Your voice matters,” she’d tell them, echoing the note that changed her life.

Years later, Aisha stood in a bookstore, signing copies of her first poetry collection, Loud and Proud. The framed envelope hung in her small apartment, a reminder of the gift that started it all. She dedicated her book to “B,” writing, “Thank you for seeing my spark before I did.” Aisha’s stories, born in a shelter and fueled by a single act of kindness, reached readers across the city, proving that even in the darkest moments, a small gesture—a note, an envelope—could ignite a journey that changed everything.