Volunteers crafting kindness for foster children in Central Alabama

On Monday afternoon, four volunteers at the Hoover Library decided to use their personal time to make a difference in the lives of foster kids, six to 12 years old, who have been abused, neglected or abandoned. Deanna Massey was cutting an egg carton into pieces with her niece and older sister. “I was never in foster care, but things got pretty close a couple times. So, you know, thankful that it didn't” Massey said.Foster care children with the Royal Family Summer Camp will use these pieces to build a dump truck. “It's so super important and something that they could even keep and play with a toy that they might not have had, or any toy,” Massey said.Shannon Haddock, works as the adult program specialist at Hoover Library leads the kindness summit program that's helping non-profits like Royal Family Kids’ camp. “The staff here at the library donated all of their egg heart beans, and we got, beautiful little note cards that we're trying to write. Encouragement notes to be put in the tote bags,” Haddock said.Camp director, Leslie Spencer, says the goal is to give these children a chance to be a kid.“We really believe that even a week out of the year or, you know, anything like that can help them to create those positive memories and really break that chain, because is that cycle continues,” Spencer said.Spencer says is the cycle is breaking already. Nine volunteers are coming back this year who were once foster children that went through the summer camp. "They are now getting to come back and volunteer, and then really be able to relate with our kids. As far as, hey, I've been there, done that. Look at, you know, there is something positive on the outside of this,” Spencer said.Summer camp starts on June 22nd.