CLAYTON, N.C. -- A 9-year-old has used her free time during the pandemic to start an organization to uplift young girls.

In June, Olivia James created Girl Hive to make a safe community of girls who are able to learn together, serve communities, and have fun while developing long lasting friendships.

“I want girls to believe that they are awesome, they're beautiful, they're intelligent, they’re unique in every single kind of way. I chose the name Girl Hive because after a trip to the North Carolina Zoo I saw the bee exhibit, and saw how the bees were working together instead of working alone. The bee symbolizes unity, and that's what I want for my group,” Olivia says.

Olivia was an Air Force brat and found it very hard to leave friends. She figured starting a group like Girl Hive would provide a way for girls all over to stay connected and to not only continue friendships, but make new ones.

First the organization was just in their community, now there's girls from seven different states!

“The word got out and we keep having people call asking to join, wanting to donate. So that's why we're in the process of going from an LLC to a nonprofit because we have had a tremendous amount of support. We're just really happy,” Olivia’s mother, Brianna James says.

Because of COVID-19 everything has been virtual, including their book club, which sometimes features appearances from authors of their Book of the Month. Once it is safe to do so, members of Girl Hive will be taking field trips and learning anything from gardening to survival skills.

“I look forward to the girls breaking out of their shell, boosting their self confidence, self esteem, and just being cheerful and happy,” Olivia says.

If you’d like to learn more about Girl Hive, search Girl Hive 2020 on Facebook and Instagram. You can also visit their website, which launches on Sunday.