3rd grade – a time filled with giggles, exploring, and epic recesses. For most 9 year-olds, that’s the perfect trifecta (just add in a tablet)! However, for gifted and talented student Luke, fun and games are a small piece of a bigger picture.
Luke is a foster family member and knows the importance of giving back. His school project was part of a non-profits lesson, so he focused his presentation on CK Family Services. The goal of the project was to teach kids to be aware of the problems in the world and how they can help solve them. Not only did Luke do that, but also, “I think I achieved a lot more!” Luke said.
He learned about how CK Family Services started and he was surprised and inspired by our founder, Karen Lund’s, involvement till this day. He even got a letter from Karen and Daniel Lund, to which he was ecstatic to receive. When it came to the service part of the project, Luke wanted to make welcome packages for foster families specifically with pajamas and snacks. He also came up with the idea to go door-to-door raising funds in order to make it possible.
Kellie, Luke’s mom, supported and supervised him throughout the development of the assignment. While Luke was learning more about foster care, she was being taught the beauty of a childlike heart. “The sweet innocence of a child reminds you you can tell people what you care about and they’ll actually listen. If they say ‘no’ you just walk up to the next person,” Kellie said.
According to Kellie, he was one of the few students with a personal connection to his project. His relationship to the assignment touched the hearts of teachers and faculty at the school. In his final presentation, Luke even talked about his own foster siblings. Afterward, Luke said, “My teacher kept bothering me saying, ‘I LOVE THIS SO MUCH!’”
Kellie said she’s grateful for the experience of being a foster parent and how it’s shaped her family. Luke doesn’t think being a foster brother makes him any different from other kids, but Kellie feels it’s increased the love in his and his bio brother’s heart. “Even when it’s hard on me as an adult I feel thankful for my children to not have to be in the muck. They just focus on loving the kids in our home. It gives me life and rejuvenation,” Kellie said.
Kellie hopes the project will have a lasting impact on the students and make each of them compassionate people empowered to do good. In the meantime, Luke is already doing that by loving and welcoming every child that steps into their home.
