08/19/2026
A story from an open home ❤️
He was 13. It had been a long week for him.
He came into our home kind and respectful, but playing the "tough guy." Like he had been carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders for far too long. He kept to himself, offering short answers and avoiding much conversation.
As the evening went on, we found a small pack of football cards. It may not have looked like much to anyone else, but to him, it was everything in that moment.
His face softened.
He carefully opened the pack and began looking through the cards, talking about players, teams, and games he had watched. Before long, he was sharing stories and striking up conversations about something he genuinely loved. For the first time that day, he was simply being a 13-year-old boy who loved football.
Tucked inside the cards was a note from the person that donated those cards. A simple message reminding a child that they are seen, valued, and not alone.
As he was preparing for bed that night, he held onto that note and those cards a little tighter, and said something none of us will forget: ""I don't know who Tim is, but I am glad he thought of kids like me.""
At Isaiah 117 House, reducing trauma doesn't always begin with grand gestures. Sometimes it begins with a pack of football cards. Sometimes it begins with a conversation about a favorite team. Sometimes it begins with a child realizing that complete strangers care enough to think about them.
Because on one of the hardest days of a child's life, being reminded that they are not alone can change everything.❤️
