Let's go to Normandy High School. Junior Chris Nowak is who we're gonna talk to! Chris gathered donations for 115 teenagers who were aging out of the foster care system.
It's a project near and dear to him because Chris spent time in foster care himself before being adopted. He wanted to come up with a way to help other kids still in foster care. Chris said when a foster teen turns 18 and has to leave foster care, they often don't have much to take with them. Chris said once he found that out, “it really broke my heart and I just wanted to help them.”
So for his Eagle Scout project, he created a website that lets people donate money for life essentials like toiletries, towels, pans, maybe a suitcase. Then Chris and others packaged the items together into a fresh start kit.
This way the foster youth have their own items to start off with and “to make their transition out of foster care smoother” according to Chris.
He and his mom, Crystal raised, get this, $21,000. That's enough money to make kits for 115 foster youth who are aging out of the system. It's also more than double the amount Chris was hoping for.
Normandy High principal, Rachel Urban said it was amazing to see how many helping hands came together under Chris's organization to get the life kits packed and sent on their way. Principal Urban also said it was a huge operation and Chris deserves a lot of credit for what was accomplished. She's proud to have Chris at Normandy High and says he's emerged as a student leader at the school.
Chris said it made him feel proud to be able to help other kids and to raise awareness about the foster care system among his friends and his community. He also credits his mom for having a big impact on him and giving him the empathy that he has now.
So Chris Nowak, we are thrilled to award you this week's NewsDepth A+ for leading the successful fundraiser for foster care kids who are aging out of the system. You've got a big heart and it showed through this project. Well done!
Submit your ideas for our NewsDepth A+ segment to newsdepth@ideastream.org for consideration.
