IPOD Students Share Kindness Through Restored Refuge Welcome Baskets

As part of our IPOD (5th & 6th grade) novel study of Home of the Brave by Katherine Applegate, students have been exploring themes of belonging, empathy, and what it means to make a place feel like home. Home of the Brave tells the story of Kek, a young boy from Sudan who becomes a refugee and eventually resettles in America. After living in a refugee camp, Kek faces the challenges of adjusting to a new country, school, and culture while coping with the loss of family and familiar surroundings. Inspired by Kek’s journey in the book and how others helped him feel welcome in a new home, our students brought these lessons to life through the Welcome Basket Project in partnership with Restored Refuge Designs.

IPOD Students with their baskets for Restored Refuge Designs

What Is Restored Refuge Designs?

Restored Refuge Designs’ mission is to “provide hope and dignity to families in need by furnishing their homes with warmth, beauty, and function using new and donated goods.”

Through their work, Restored Refuge Designs brings comfort, dignity, and a sense of home to families by delivering furnishings tailored to help each family feel that their new space is truly “home.”

What Our Students Did And Why It Matters

Jill Boersma from Restored Refuge Designs spent time with our IPOD students, sharing the heart and mission behind their work. After learning about the organization, students organized and assembled 44 welcome baskets to support the work of Restored Refuge Designs. Each basket was filled with items to help a new home feel warm, inviting, and welcoming. Alongside the items, students wrote welcome letters and created original, encouraging artwork to include in each basket.

This project gave students a tangible way to live out the themes from Home of the Brave. They weren’t just reading about belonging and kindness, they were embodying it, helping other families begin a new chapter with hope, dignity, and a sense of community.

A Lesson from the Book — Alive in Real Life

The purpose behind this project connects powerfully to a line from Home of the Brave:

“Today, tomorrow, sooner or later, you will meet someone who is lost, just as you yourself have been lost, and as you will be lost again someday. And when that happens it is your duty to say ‘I have been lost too. Let me help you find your way home.’”

Through working with Restored Refuge Designs and creating these welcome baskets, our IPOD students are doing just that offering help, hope, and community to families who are rebuilding their lives. They’re helping others “find their way home” through kindness, comfort, and love.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to this project. You’ve helped turn a story into real-world compassion and shown how much of a difference we can make when we extend love and generosity to our neighbors. To learn more about Restored Refuge Designs and how to donate, click here to visit their website.