Kids Helping Kids- Our Cool Friend Clayton
Kids helping kids is one of the greatest things. When a child sees an issue and wants to make a change, that brings us hope. Hope in our future and hope that in our lifetime we will be able to change the way children experience the foster system.
Children Volunteer Opportunities
People often approach us with questions about children volunteer opportunities. Because the main way we help kids in foster care is through team building service projects some people are reluctant. Fundraising takes time and energy and isn’t possible for everyone. We are always thankful for those who take the time to fundraise and donate to our team building service programs. But even more so when kids get on board to make a change.
Meet Clayton
Clayton from Chico, CA, signed up to help us with our Build a Board program. In his fundraiser “Bio” he wrote.
“My name is Clayton Elwell and I just turned 13 years old. I have been a foster brother for a few years now and I really enjoy it. One thing I have noticed is the kids do not have many toys when they move in with us. I am starting this fundraiser, with my families help, to try and get skateboards in as many foster kids hands that live in Butte County as I can. Our local skatepark was just remodeled and I love riding it and hope other kids can too, with our help.”
It is so important that we encourage kids to pursue the goodness in their hearts.
Why You Should Support Your Child’s Volunteer Interests
When you volunteer to work on a service project with Foster Love - Together We Rise, you work one on one with a programs team member. For Clayton’s skateboard build, we communicated often with his mom Sara E. who sent us a recap email after the event.
Sara wrote, “Clayton had his skateboard build yesterday and it was a success. Thank you all so much for teaching my son the power of giving back and gratitude and hard work and all the other virtues he learned through this project. His little sister wants to do something now so we/she’s going to have a garage sale and start saving some money and we will reach out to you again in a couple of months. Thank everyone from Clayton for us, please. Hopefully, it will encourage other kids to help. They can never start to young. My daughter turns 10 in July so we’ll probably do something then. Thanks again.”
Parents and guardians should support their children’s volunteer interests because they too are apart of our community. If they feel strongly about making a change we should encourage their empathy and passion.
Never Too Young To Volunteer
Sara, thank you for raising children who are empowered to take action against injustices that they see. We love seeing kids helping kids!
Clayton, thank you so much for volunteering and building those skateboards, you are an inspiration to us all. It can be intimidating taking on such a big project but you’ve shown us that with the support of your family, friends, and community anything is possible.
A skateboard may seem like a small gift but to a kid in foster care, it could change their life.
Wanna get involved and build skateboards for kids in foster care? Sign up here. https://www.togetherwerise.org/team-building/build-a-board/
