Love each other with genuine affection and take delight in honoring each other.
— Romans 12:10
Dear Friends,
I believe that even one act of love and care can impact a young life in a powerful way. Recently one of our Grace House staff did this by simply sharing a picture book with a young boy who was staying at the shelter with his mom and siblings. The name of the book was “Grateful A Song of Giving Thanks” by John Bucchino. This book “happened” to be donated to our mission site back in 2019 on literally the same day our board decided to purchase the property at 802 W Broadway, now called Grace House.
As the shelter worker read the words and looked at the pictures with the child, she could see that he was deeply moved by the message. In the back of the book was a CD that put the words to music. That evening the young boy spent a long time listening to the music and looking at the pictures on his own- commenting later that the book was calming to him.
The next day our shelter coordinator shared our Grace Place children’s CD called” ‘Songs in the Key of Carla” with the young child. Again, he found comfort in listening to the music and expressed it to the shelter staff. Of course, the most natural thing to do next was to have me visit the shelter with my guitar and do music together with the young boy and his family in person, right in the living room. That gave me the opportunity to sing, look into each of their eyes, and warmly greet them by name, sharing love and joy at a challenging time in the life of this family.
Love, Carla, Founder & Exec. Director of Grace Place, Inc.
Simple Things We Can All Do to Make Our World a Better Place for Kids
- Let every kid you see today know you think they are special.
- Say hello to kids in your neighborhood, let them know you are interested in how they are doing.
- Get on a mailing list of an organization dedicated to improving kids’ issues. Contribute, get involved, educate yourself about the issues.
- Spend time with your kids or other kids in your life. When you’re with them, practice really listening, watch their faces light up!
- Acknowledge someone who works with kids on a regular basis. Thank them for doing what is sometimes a “thankless” job.
University of Minnesota, Seeds of Promise, Volume 1