A family choosing backpacks and school supplies during FK Love Foundation’s 2026 Back-to-School event.
Back-to-school season is exciting for a lot of families. New Clothes, new backpacks, fresh school supplies and anticipation of a brand-new year.
But for some families—and especially for children in foster care — getting ready for school isn’t always that simple.
That’s why FK Love Foundation’s 2026 Back-to-School effort wasn’t just one event. This year, we were blessed to be part of TWO incredible days focused on making sure local kids could walk into school feeling prepared, confident and cared for.
Diffrent events. Different needs. One mission:
LOVE • FEED • EMPOWER
A Back-to-School Shopping Day Just for Foster Kids
One of our favorite days of the summer was a special back-to-school event for local children in foster care, held at Next Level Church in conjunction with Lutheran Family Services and Foster Village.
This wasn't just about handing a child a bag of school supplies.
We wanted the kids to have an experience.
Children were able to come in and shop for their own back-to-school supplies, choosing the things they liked and needed for the new school year. They could get a fresh haircut, enjoy lunch, and spend the day surrounded by people who were there for one reason — to make them feel special.
FK Love Foundation and FK Your Diet donated the school supplies and provided lunch for the event.
There is something powerful about giving a child the opportunity to choose.
A backpack isn't just a backpack when it's the one you picked out. School supplies feel a little different when they're yourcolors and your style.
For children in foster care, who don't always get to make choices about what happens in their lives, even those seemingly little moments can matter.
And watching those kids shop, get their hair cut and leave ready for school made our hearts very full.
Getting Kids—and Parents—Healthy and Ready for School
Premier Mobile Health Services provided free back-to-school health screenings for children and went a step further by offering free health screenings for parents, too.
Ah-mazing!
They also provided toiletry kits for the kids because let's face it — deodorant and clean teeth help A LOT when you're heading back to school.
We provided backpacks filled with school supplies, and thanks to a generous donation from COOLEST, as seen on Shark Tank, families also received brand-new bed sheets.
At first, sheets might not sound like a traditional back-to-school item.
But think about it.
A good school day starts the night before.
A child needs a comfortable place to sleep. They need basic hygiene products. They need access to healthcare. They need the right supplies when they walk into their classroom.
A good night's sleep. Good hygiene. Good health. School supplies. Confidence.
It ALL matters.
It’s About More Than Backpacks
When people think about a back-to-school drive, they usually picture backpacks, pencils, crayons and notebooks.
We see something bigger.
We see the child getting a haircut before walking into school on the first day.
We see the foster child getting to choose something that's truly theirs.
We see the parent who can get a health screening while their child gets one.
We see a child climbing into a bed with clean, new sheets the night before school.
We see a kid opening a backpack and knowing they have what everyone else has when they walk into the classroom.
Most importantly, we see a child knowing that their community cares about them.
It Really Does Take a Village
None of this happens because of one person or one organization.
It happens when people come together.
To Next Level Church, Lutheran Family Services and Foster Village — thank you for joining together to create such a special experience for our foster kids.
To Premier Mobile Health Services — thank you for caring for the health of our children AND their parents.
To COOLEST — thank you for helping us give children something we believe every child deserves: a clean and comfortable place to lay their head at night.
To every person who donated supplies or money, volunteered, hauled boxes, packed backpacks, served lunch, worked in the Florida heat or simply asked, “What can I do to help?” — THANK YOU.
And to our FK Your Diet team — thank you for continuing to show up for this community.
This is why FK Love Foundation exists.
We can't fix every problem.
But we can feed someone.
We can buy the backpack.
We can provide the school supplies.
We can give a child a meal.
We can show up.
And when enough people decide to show up together, our little acts of kindness become something much bigger.
IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO PROMOTE CHANGE.
So here's my challenge:
Be human. Help where you can. Love people.
That's how we change our little piece of the world.
LOVE • FEED • EMPOWER
— Amy
FK Love Foundation
