by Sarah Browning, Staff Writer
Caitie Perry, a sophomore journalism major, has learned how to minister to the children in her life out of her own brokenness. Caitie has been volunteering with children since her senior year in high school, and she currently reads to kids at Nicholasville Elementary and participates in the Wilmore Elementary Lunch Buddy program.
Kids are a big part of Caitie’s life, and she loves reaching out to them. “A lot of the kids at Wilmore Elementary come from a terrible background, so I like to get in there because I know how that feels,” she said.
Caitie explained that her own personal experience is what has moved her to reach out and to bring kids into her life. “I come from a broken home,” she said. “My parents are divorced, and I was constantly going back and forth between my mom and my dad from the custody battles, which got really tiring. I know as a kid that was exhausting for me, and I know I’m not the only one who has been through that.”
Because she never had an adult to be there for her and to validate her experience, she wants to be that figure for the kids in her life. “It’s very important to me that they know someone is there for them,” Caitie said. “Someone that has gone through it too. I’m not trying to normalize it, but, at the same time, it does happen, and I want to let them know it’s okay.”
Talking to the kids about their lives has helped her develop a new lens with which to view the world. Caitie said, “There are so many things going on in the world, and it opens your eyes to what the kids are seeing.
Caitie has noticed that her consistency and her role make a difference to the kids, and they begin to invest in her like she invests in them. “The amazing part is watching them grow and change,” she said. “What’s sad is that when you continue to visit these kids they open up to you more and more, and you get to hear their experiences. And children don’t filter anything.”
Just being there for the kids makes a world of difference. “A lot of them don’t understand what’s going,” she said. “They have thoughts, but they don’t know what’s going on. As I keep going, they start to open up, and they start to realize themselves.”
Caitie’s willingness to be vulnerable with the kids about her life and to be present encourages them to be open with her. “It’s amazing to see how they start to understand what’s going on, and then they start to talk to me more because they’re trying to figure it out themselves by using me.”
Even though Caitie had to deal with the pain of coming from a broken home, she has been able to use her experiences to empower children going through the same things she has. Part of her passion comes from how much potential and beauty she sees in every child. “I’ve learned kids are the future, and they don’t get enough attention. A lot of kids come from broken homes and there are a lot of ways we can help with that.”
Photo by Brody McKinnon