Lakeside Students Turn Compassion Into Action

Homemade lasagna. Beef penne pasta. Broccoli casserole. Garlic knots. Fresh baked apple pies and cookies. For many families, these meals are comfort food. Yet for foster families, they can be a relief.

Students in Lakeside Foods classes spent multiple class days preparing freezer meals for foster families. They learned that foster parenting is much more than opening your home.

Court dates. Therapy appointments. School demands. Visits with biological parents. Social worker meetings. Trauma episodes that can last hours. Homes that often feel like revolving doors of professionals coming and going.

Sometimes, making dinner is simply one more thing families do not have time or energy to manage. So the students stepped in. Meals were delivered to foster families—packed with practical help and love.

“Thank you!!! You and your group of kids are doing amazing things!!”

“It gave us a great meal and a little extra time to spend with our four teenage boys.”

But the meals were only the beginning. Students were invited into a deeper question...

How do we help foster families?

They learned what life can look like for foster parents and foster children. They participated in activities that helped them feel some of the pressure, uncertainty, and emotional weight foster families carry.

Then they were challenged with one simple message: be 1 out of 10 willing to help—one small gift card, one simple act of encouragement for a foster family.

The response was immediate. Twenty-five students raised their hands without hesitation. Using their own money, they purchased gift cards for foster parents, raising over $400 in gift cards in addition to preparing meals for families.

For many students, their understanding of foster care changed.

Use the arrow above, in the bottom left corner, to read reflections from the students.

You could see the moment it clicked. Students began thinking differently, seeing differently, and feeling gratitude for their own lives while wanting to help others.

One student revealed she herself had been in foster care and wanted to support others walking a similar path. Another shared that her own family had gone through a season where others helped them—and because she knew what it felt like to be in need, she wanted to give back.

The students didn’t just hear stories. They acted.

Use the arrow above, in the bottom left corner, to read more reflections from the students.

And perhaps most importantly, students wanted foster parents to hear this message:

“We’re grateful. God sent you for a purpose, and you’re fulfilling a purpose,” said Lydia.

“I hope they know people do care about them, even when it doesn’t feel like it. I hope they know God has a plan for them and that He is with them always.” — Brielle

For many, this experience deepened their faith.

“It strengthened my faith and made it grow. Now I see how much I can do for other people and how much I can impact their lives,” said Lilly.

“I looked back at all God has given me and I want to do the same thing for others and show my love for Jesus in that way,” Owen shared.

When we step into what God calls us to do—loving, serving, encouraging, carrying one another’s burdens—there is blessing in obedience. God grows something inside of us.

The students discovered something many adults forget you do not have to solve everything to do something. A meal matters. A prayer matters. A $5 coffee card matters. Encouragement matters.

And maybe that is the invitation for all of us—not guilt, not pressure.

Just a simple question

When God places a need in front of you, will you be 1 out of 10 who steps in?

Jesus never asked ordinary people to do everything. But He often asked them to take the next faithful step. These students did. Maybe we can too.

Use the arrow above, in the bottom left corner, to see more photos.