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Sometimes it’s the little things—flowers, brownies, a hand-drawn picture—that make the biggest impact. Two years ago, a committed Love Box Leader met Kaden, a young boy in foster care, through a reading volunteer program at his elementary school. At the end of their first session, she smiled and told him, “When you get home, have someone help you practice your reading!” Kaden looked at her quietly and said, “I don’t have anyone. I’m just a foster kid.” Those five words changed everything.
That moment shattered her heart—but it also sparked something powerful. When she returned to volunteer the next week, Kaden was gone. He had been moved, as so many children in foster care often are. But this wasn’t the end of the story. Our team worked tirelessly for two weeks to find him—and when we did, that same volunteer made a promise: “If Kaden doesn’t have anyone, I’ll be his someone.”
And for the past two years, she has been just that. Through our Love Box program, she’s shown up month after month with care, consistency, and love. What started with cookies and card games, flowerpots and brownies, turned into a steady relationship that helped Kaden shift the way he saw himself. No longer “just a foster kid”—but a kid who is seen, valued, and deeply loved. Today, Kaden is thriving. He was reunified with his mom and siblings nearly two years ago. He still stays close with his former foster family—and is even heading to church camp with them this summer. His life is full of people who care, thanks to a village that never stopped showing up. This is what relational permanency looks like. It’s a relationship that outlasts a placement. That sticks around after reunification. That follows a child home. In a system where over 23,000 young people age out of foster care each year without ever having a permanent, stable adult in their life, Kaden’s story is rewriting the statistics. Research shows that youth who age out without a stable adult are more likely to face homelessness, incarceration, and unemployment. But having just one committed, caring adult can dramatically change that trajectory. Kaden has that one. And the truth is—it didn’t take anything fancy. It took someone who cared enough to show up with flowers. To play games. To make brownies. To be his someone. You don’t have to fix everything. You just have to care about one kid. Be their someone. That’s how lives are changed. *Name has been changed to protect the privacy of the child featured in this story.
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Graduation caps flew this May, but for David and Anna, this milestone meant so much more than finishing high school—it marked the beginning of a new chapter they’ve worked hard to create for themselves. The teen twins were matched on the same day last year through our Dare to Dream program, and the transformation over the past year has been nothing short of inspiring. With the consistent guidance, encouragement, and love of their mentors, David and Anna didn’t just survive their senior year—they thrived. Both teens came into the program with dreams but little direction. Like many youth in foster care, they’ve experienced trauma and neglect, and at times, they were unsure what the future could hold. But thanks to mentors who believed in them, who showed up, listened, coached, and celebrated every win, David and Anna began to see—and pursue—the future they deserve. Their mentors helped them apply for and land the jobs they wanted, develop life skills, and plan for what comes next. For Anna, that meant chasing a dream: applying to acting school. With her mentor’s help, she did just that—and got in. For David, it meant stepping into independence with confidence, equipped with tools and support to build a future he's proud of. But this story doesn’t end with a graduation cap and a handshake. Because the Dare to Dream program doesn’t stop when high school does. Their mentors are staying by their side this year—a year that’s especially critical for youth approaching aging out of care. These young adults are now navigating some of life’s biggest firsts: finding housing, managing money, opening bank accounts, juggling jobs, and learning time management and self-sufficiency. AND THEY'RE NOT DOING IT ALONE. At KCMO Angels, we believe every child deserves to be seen, supported, and celebrated. David and Anna’s mentors are helping them write a new narrative—one defined not by their past, but by their incredible potential. Their story is far from over. But what’s clear is this: with the right support system, David and Anna are writing a future full of promise. To honor and protect the privacy of the youth we serve, names have been changed in this story.  |
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October 2025
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