INA, Ill. (May 4, 2017) - Roughly 60 海角视频 students came together this semester to raise awareness and advocate for local youth in foster care. Students enrolled in four different courses participated in the project for Child Abuse Prevention Month in April and National Foster Care Month in May.
Together, students enrolled in Dr. Jeannie Mitchell芒鈧劉s Child Psychology class designed T-Shirts, which were sold on and off campus. The $1,200 in profits were used to purchase bags and fill them with essential items for foster children at Spero Family Services in Mt. Vernon. Classes taught by Peggy Davis, Sarah Draper, and Heather Maschoff, also donated items.
Mitchell's Child Psychology class helped John Shadowens, President and CEO of Spero Family Services, LEFT, and Sandy Sinnett, Director of Development and Public Relations at Spero Family Services, RIGHT, load vehicles with the bags created by their class and others. The RLC students pictured are, in alphabetical order, Brianna Bowlin, Peter Camaione, Mackenzie Campbell, Rosemarie Cliff, Quanice Davis, Kathleen Dekriek, Hannah Hubbard, Bailee Huff, Brianna Kelley, Kaylee Little, Autumn Long, Bryanna Martin, Briley Melcher, Madison Nelson, Kennedy Prince, Arianna Reiss, Christina Standridge, Terrilynn Summers, Luke Thompson, Matthew Wallinger, and Morgan Wilson. Click on the image for a larger view.
(ReAnne Palmer / RLC Public Information)
The donation was inspired by a short film about Rob Scheer, founder of the non-profit organization Comfort Cases, who entered the foster care system at 10 years old. In the film, Scheer spoke about carrying all of his belongings in a trash bag while in foster care.
芒鈧揙nce we realized Comfort Cases wasn芒鈧劉t in our state yet, the class decided to help out local kids by implementing our own project,芒鈧� said Mitchell.
John Shadowens, President and CEO of Spero Family Services, accepted the donation Wednesday on RLC芒鈧劉s campus. He addressed the students and expressed his heartfelt thanks for going above and beyond.
芒鈧揥hen we present [the children] a bag like this, and say, 芒鈧渉ey, there are a bunch of students who have never met you, who probably will never meet you at 海角视频, who are thinking about you. They care about you and they芒鈧劉re praying for you. They芒鈧劉re collecting things for you, with their families and their churches.芒鈧劉 The impact of that is something we can never really know or measure, because it just lets them know they芒鈧劉re not alone,芒鈧� said John Shadowens, President and CEO of Spero Family Services.
He continued, 芒鈧揧ou芒鈧劉d be surprised what somebody hangs on to. They芒鈧劉re coming into our care, into the State芒鈧劉s care, at the worst moment in their life so far. They芒鈧劉re full of uncertainty. They think other people have abandoned them and they don芒鈧劉t know what芒鈧劉s happening next.芒鈧�
Shadowens also praised the students for making a connection with the children at Spero Family Services.
芒鈧揑芒鈧劉ve spent my whole career, 30 years of it, trying to connect people who have certain advantages and opportunities in life with people who don芒鈧劉t,芒鈧� he said. 芒鈧揑t芒鈧劉s moments like this that overwhelms me. You took this and ran with it. You did it because you wanted to. You芒鈧劉re good-hearted people. Thank you, from my heart, thank you. I will be sure to tell your story of what you芒鈧劉ve done every time one of these bags goes out.芒鈧�
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