City of Menifee honors 12-year-old as Outstanding Citizen

Police Chief Pat Walsh, City Council members Dean Deines and Lesa Sobek, and Mayor Bill Zimmerman honor Bella Hullings. Photo courtesy of Bill Zimmerman

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Over 50 people braved 100-degree weather at Blitzer's Frozen Yogurt in Menifee Tuesday to honor Bella Hullings, a 12-year-old with a giving heart.

Blitzer's owner Rhonda Copp shared a heartwarming story with the guests who gathered in front of her shop to give praise to Bella. Those in attendance wore face coverings and avoided hugging each other, even though they felt compelled to after hearing about Bella's kindness. City of Menifee officials presented Bella with an Outstanding Citizen Award.

Copp shared in an email that Bella came into the store a couple weeks ago to present $178 cash to help with Copp's granddaughter's medical expenses. She had seen a prayer box for Aura before Christmas.

"She then asked all of her family to not give her any gifts for Christmas, but money, as that she was raising money for this cause," Copp wrote in the email. "Since Christmas, she has been doing side jobs such as babysitting, dog walking, and saving her allowance to keep raising money.

"Each year, she raises money on her own to donate to pediatric cancer research in honor of her late cousin, Gage, who passed away after a long battle with pediatric cancer. Bella has always had a heart of gold; she hears of injustices and racks her brain to come up with a solution or at bare minimum a way to significantly help.

"She has been known to create art work, playdough roses, anything she can to sell and donate the money to causes that call to her heart. She once heard of people being mean to geese by a local Menifee lake. She organized her cousins to make signs to save the geese and staged a protest against animal violence."


About 20 firefighters also attended to offer their praise and support.