How a Lake County nonprofit is helping homeless, foster kids during the coronavirus pandemic
A personalized letter or a homemade card. A gift card to a local grocery store. An “activity box” full of crafts and lesson plans.
To many kids, these gifts would be a kind gesture, a welcome distraction from the confusion and fear they're experiencing amid the coronavirus pandemic.
For a child who is homeless or in the foster care system, such acts of kindness can mean the difference between being hungry and being fed, between feeling lonely and feeling loved, said Annie McAveeney, founder of Fill a Heart 4 Kids.
The nonprofit has been working around the clock to ensure hundreds of unaccompanied homeless youths and foster children in Lake and Cook counties are receiving educational support, positive experiences and other necessities during the statewide stay-at-home order, she said. Staff members and volunteers are organizing activities, coordinating virtual pen pals and collecting donations, among other efforts.
“We're all feeling isolated right now. What is it like for a child who lives in a group home? Can you imagine?” McAveeney said. “This is the best way we can comfort the children.”
Fill a Heart 4 Kids was formed after McAveeney and her family took in their first homeless child about 13 years ago. The boy eventually returned to his mother once she was back on her feet, McAveeney said, and though they still keep in touch, her children were sad to see him go. So she encouraged them to turn their disappointment into an act of kindness.
It started with her daughter, Lilly, and her friends creating Valentine's Day care packages and notes for 48 foster children. Lilly's sister then suggested extending the mission by brightening kids' days on their birthdays or providing them with school supplies.
The nonprofit now serves 1,350 children in partnership with 18 local group facilities by holding book clubs, taking them on special outings, donating necessities, and showing them in other ways that they're valued, McAveeney said.
Earlier this week, Fill a Heart 4 Kids organized car parades past various children's homes. Gift cards are being offered to homeless youth. Letters and crafts are being emailed or shown to kids over video.
Disinfected bins filled with educational lessons, Legos, art projects and more have been dropped off, and children are encouraged to send in photos showing the goals they have accomplished.
Community members have been stepping up, too. Some started their own fundraisers or signed up to be pen pals. Others are sewing masks for staff members of children's homes.
“There are really several ways to get involved at home to help kids that are suffering,” McAveeney said. “A lot of the kids feel isolated and alone. We want them to feel loved and give them as much joy as we possibly can.”
For more information, visit www.fillaheart4kids.org.