The gift of a ukulele and hand-painted backpacks to Kansas foster children in the past week was a tangible reminder that generous hearts can make a difference.
On Tuesday, the Society of Decorative Painters donated more than 25 hand-painted backpacks to Saint Francis Ministries to be given to children on their first night in foster care.
Jennifer Arnold, director of the Wichita, Kan.-based organization, said the idea of hand-painting the backpacks came about because the organization desires to do something impactful in the community.
This week, the society held its annual conference, where painters come from around the country to take classes and, on the last day, hold an expo that’s open to the public.
“While they were here, they wanted to do something that would be impactful to the community,” Arnold said.
They put the word out to members about six months ago, and even if they couldn’t attend the conference, they could mail the backpacks.
The colorful backpacks were decorated with everything from llamas to quirky ostriches to music notes and flowers.
Their gift came just days after members of the Wichita Ukulele Society and the Newton Ukulele Tunes Society put their love into action by replacing a ukulele stolen from a boy in foster care.
If you’re interested in sharing your talents or making a donation to support children and families, call The Saint Francis Foundation at (800) 898-4896 or visit the website for more information.
