Claire's Blog


Claire's Blog Post

Hello! My name is Claire Schmidt, and I am a sophomore at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and a member of Light For Little Lives, a student group raising money to benefit the Isaiah 117 House.

This organization provides temporary housing for children awaiting placement in the foster care system by giving them a bed to sleep in, homemade meals, and a store where the kids can receive any necessities they may be missing, such as toiletries, clothes, and new underwear. 

This cause is immensely important, and reflecting on my own life has helped me realize its true significance. Growing up, I took for granted all of the opportunities and resources I was given, and coming to college has broadened my perspectives on each person's unique experiences. My hope for these children is that they will be given these same resources and placed in loving homes, and the Isaiah 117 house is a fundamental part of fostering their success. 

One reason that this organization is especially important to me is because of my previous volunteer work with Porchlight, a homeless shelter in Bellevue, Washington. This experience of being able to sit down with the men housed there opened my eyes to the reality that so many people face. Many of these men started their adolescence in foster care and were unable to break out of the systemic setbacks. That is why my hope for these children at the Isaiah 117 House is that they can receive what they need to make a comfortable and fulfilling lives for themselves. 

With the help of the community, one donation from a caring person could make all the difference in a child's life. That's why we need help from people like you, so that these children can get the love and support they need, to have the childhood they deserve. 

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