Sofia Harrienger, 9, loves to draw. With an empty canvas, a brush in one hand, and a paint palette in front of her, Harrienger is going to work on a rainbow.

“I just like how this is relaxing to me,” Harrienger said.

After putting a few different colors down, she is already thinking about how the drawing will help others. While drawing is one of her favorite activities, Harrienger is also hoping it’ll help her raise money for her other hobby.

“It’s probably going to go to people who give donations to our foundation,” Harrienger said.

When she was turning seven, Harrienger told her mother she didn’t want any gifts for her birthday, because she already had too many things. Instead, Harrienger wanted to collect donations for the Montgomery County SPCA.

“I just like to help other people and not just help myself,” Harrienger said.

A year later, she again asked her mother if she could give back. Harrienger gathered clothes, toiletries and snacks for the YWCA of Northeastern New York.

“It was such a surprise that she wanted to do it again and she wanted to keep going,” said Lara Kulpa, Harrienger’s mother.

That led to the pair making it permanent. So shortly after her eighth birthday, Harrienger and her mother established the Creating Hope Foundation.

Harrienger recently turned nine, and this year, she is raising money to help children with cancer.

“They are really, really happy when I do it,” Harrienger said. “And when they’re happy, it makes me happy.”

She’s hoping to raise $50,000 by her next birthday and give Albany Medical Center one of those big cardboard checks. Until then, Harrienger plans to continue to draw and continue to be a big helper.

“We’ll do it as long as she wants it to keep going. I don’t see it stopping any time soon, just because of the kind of kid she is,” Kulpa said.