Luca, 19 years old, OR | 35 DAYS WAITING

Wish submitted by:

Luca is an incredibly talented artist who expresses himself through painting and original digital art, and is teaching himself to sew. He has been in and out of foster care his entire life, beginning with his initial removal from his mother’s care at birth due to fetal drug exposure. He was most recently returned to care in 2022 and benefited from being placed with a relative whose support was instrumental in getting him back on track with his high school credits so he could graduate on time. Over and over, he has tackled life's challenges and succeeded. He has chosen to stay in foster care until he has to age out due to needing continued support, both financially and logistically, in the transition to adulthood.

Luca is stepping into a whole new chapter, living independently in the dorms during his first year of college. Because his former resource family has limited financial resources, with one adult supporting eight family members, Luca has furnished his dorm largely on his own, working within a very tight budget. Right now, one thing that would really help is a shoe rack for his closet, since all his shoes are currently shoved under his bed. Having a proper place to keep them would bring a bit more order and personality to his space- the kind of small, practical upgrade that makes a dorm feel like home.