Finley FFA inspired by classmates to build bunk beds for foster care students
For some kids in foster care, the difference between being placed with family or in a group home can come down to whether the potential foster parent has a bed for them.
The Future Farmers of America at River View High School is using its service project to make a difference in the lives of some fellow students.
They’re building a bunk bed to donate next week to the nonprofit Mo’s Place.
Two licensed foster parents founded the group in 2019 to support children and teens in the foster care system throughout Benton, Franklin and Walla Walla counties, including children in emergency placement.
Foster care connections
Hans Miles, a junior at River View High School and FFA officer, said the idea for the bunk beds came up at an officer meeting a couple of years ago.
Many students at the high school and Finley Middle School are in the foster care system, so other students feel a personal connection with the issue.
Ronnie Bush, Career and Technical Education instructor and FFA advisor, said a lot of times, siblings are separated because foster homes don’t always have a bed for more than one child.
“You can’t place a child unless they actually have a bed to sleep in,” Bush said. “They can’t sleep on a couch, they have to have a bed.”
And Miles said bunk beds make it so siblings can be paired together while giving them their own bed.
Bush said other FFA chapters across the United States have done the same thing, so he looked into who would benefit the most from the bunk beds, and Mo’s Place seemed like the best fit.
FFA received a semester-long grant from the national FFA organization to work on the project, Bush said.
Last year, they received a $1,200 grant, which allowed them to build two beds. This year, they received $800 for materials, so they could only make one bed.
Class project
But even one bed is still a help.
And Anna Cooper, junior at River View High School and FFA officer, said building the bed also shows the students in the foster care system that people care about them.
“This is donated to the foster care kids,” Cooper said. “It’s going to be a great feeling, knowing that somebody cares at our school.”
Bush said his Career and Technical Education classes worked on the bed, including one middle school class and the rest from the high school.
“Everyone that’s been through my classes has gone through all the safety requirements to learn how to use the tools and equipment properly,” he said. “It’s a benefit to the school where we can ... incorporate (this) into lesson plans.”
Bush said the bed will go into a storage facility temporarily and, from there, it will be distributed to whoever needs it.
This story was originally published May 31, 2022 at 1:27 PM.
