Youngsters fill summer with good works

OCEANSIDE — Kamden Maas and her brother Willy are staying busy this summer by launching a special campaign to help homeless youngsters, which they named “Let’s Judge a Book by its Cover!”
Kamden is 13 and going into eighth grade. Willy is 11 and will be in sixth grade. They have gotten help, as well, from their youngest brother, 7-year-old Conrad. As part of their required community service at St. Patrick’s Parish School in Carlsbad, the Oceanside siblings paid a visit to Toussaint Academy, part of the St. Vincent de Paul organization in downtown San Diego. Toussaint Academy provides housing for approximately 30 homeless high-school age students, with classroom accommodations for another 10 to 15 students who may be living in emergency shelters. Its goal is to educate and prepare the youngsters for a career.
“We only needed 10 hours of service, but these teenagers need our help,” Kamden said. “They have to do everything for themselves and earn their way through life the hard way. We want to help them look good to make a good first impression and feel good about themselves.
“We are collecting gently worn, cool, brand-name clothes so they can look beautiful and handsome,” Kamden said. “We would like brands like Roxy, Hollister, Abercrombie & Fitch, Quicksilver, Hurley, Volcom, Ralph Lauren and any other good brands you know. They also need new hip shoes and we can come pick them up, depending where you live.”
The Maas youngsters also are putting together a skateboard ramp to be donated to Toussaint, and are looking for help getting the pieces down there and assembled.
“We need all the help we can get,” Kamden said. “We want to help them, because daily life is hard for them. Our everyday needs are met, with no questions asked, because we have parents.”
Contact the Maas family at (760) 585-6406 or e-mail [email protected].