Luca, 19 years old, OR

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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 starting his first year of college and living independently in the dorms. He wants a decorative bath mat to add some personal style to his space and help keep him from slipping in the bathroom. His former resource mom still gives him wonderful emotional support, but as the only working adult in a home of eight people across four generations, she cannot help financially. Luca is learning to manage on the limited subsidy provided by ODHS, and even small items for his dorm are out of reach.