“We want every child to know that they matter, that their voices are important, and that they deserve to be seen and valued. Our mission is to create meaningful moments for kids, no matter how young or old they are, because their experiences and emotions matter.”
This week’s Senior Capstone Spotlight has a powerful goal to support children facing difficult circumstances due to child abuse and youth mental health issues.
Capstone Spotlight: Partnering with For the Love of Children to create Meaningful Moments for Children Through Support & Connection
Marjorie Ingles ‘26, Demaria Garrett ‘26, and Jasmine McElrath ‘26, guided by mentor Bill Richard, science teacher, decided to do a capstone project that focuses on helping little ones struggling with child abuse and mental health. They believe these are incredibly important topics because they affect a child throughout their lives in many ways, including how they perform in school.
A Mission to Support These Vulnerable Children
During her junior year, Majorie chose to volunteer at For the Love of Children (FLOC), which provides resources and support to youth who have experienced a traumatic event. There she saw how child abuse can destroy a child’s self-esteem, making them withdrawn and untrusting of others. This experience motivated her to create a capstone project to help these kids.
“Hearing the kids’ heartwarming and eye-opening stories has strengthened our commitment to this work,” said Ingles. “This is why it is crucial these children feel supported and cared for in ways we can provide. We are showing up, listening, and spending time with them. We want our capstone project to make a lasting impact on their lives.”
Teaming up with FLOC, this group can focus on small but meaningful interactions with the children. They explained that creating simple moments of connection can have a big impact.
Turning Mission Into Action
From her first day volunteering, Marjorie fell in love with the organization for its welcoming environment and the care and dedication of the directors. She has made an effort to visit FLOC almost every Monday and Thursday, and she’s currently serving as a student director for the FLOC Boutique.
Throughout this school year, this capstone group goes to FLOC weekly to spend time building relationships with the children by speaking with them one-on-one and listening. This group wanted to do something special for the children. So they decided to organize a Halloween party which would give kids the opportunity to create art, participate in fun seasonal activities, and have time to relax and enjoy themselves.
Ingles, Garrett, and McElrath held an event at CJ for students to assemble the candy bags for the Halloween Party, and on Halloween, this group gathered the children at FLOC for a festive celebration.
Ingles said, “This party was a lot of fun and an uplifting experience for the kids we serve.”
With April being Child Abuse Prevention Month, this group plans to do more awareness activities at CJ. Before prom, they invite CJ students to come to the FLOC Boutique Shop for their prom needs.
Why This Work Matters
As a senior capstone project, the research, action, and impact center on Catholic social teaching.
“We are all God’s children, and everyone deserves to be treated with respect,” said Ingles. “This is why our project centers on child abuse and youth mental health—two issues that are deeply connected. Even though laws exist to protect children, abuse often goes undetected and can take many forms, leaving long-lasting effects on a child’s emotional well-being. By showing up, listening, and spending time with them, we hope to remind these kids that their voices matter and that they are not alone.”
This project has changed the way this group thinks. They realize even the smallest thing — like just showing up for these kids — makes a big impact.
“You can tell by the kids’ smiles,” said Ingles. “Through these experiences, we are motivated to continue this kind of work.”
Stay Connected:
Our capstone Instagram: greater._.moments.