But helping others is a year-round job

Re/Max real estate agent Michael Powell loves helping others as much as he loves real estate.

Powell said he is the youngest son of three raised by a single mother who had to struggle to survive. His mother worked second jobs and double shifts to make ends meet, but those ends were barely met.

When the holidays came, Roy said there were few gifts, and his mother had to work because the income had to keep flowing constantly, again to meet those ends. Watching the struggles of his mother and knowing the feeling of being a child with a lonely and less than joyous Christmas led to the creation of Roy’s Kids “I watched my mom struggle for years and years,” Powell said. “I wanted to make a difference in a kid’s life.”

Powell’s brother, Roy, passed away several years ago, and Powell wanted to honor his memory by creating Roy’s Kids, he said.

In 2010, Roy’s Kids was created to help single mothers or others who raise children in single-parent households with limited income. His initial effort was to provide children with Christmas presents that match their individual and needs.

From there, Roy’s Kids has expanded to include many other services for underprivileged children throughout the year, not just in the holiday season.

“I want to help out in any way I can,” Powell said.

One of the newest charities of Roy’s Kids was a back-to-school program to help underprivileged children get the supplies they need to have a successful school year.

Powell said for the last two years, Roy’s Kids has helped with the back-to-school program in conjunction with University Elementary.

University Elementary Principal Kasie Mainiero said Roy’s Kids works with them to help underprivileged children.

“Roy’s Kids is actually an organization that helps us,” Mainiero said. “We do give back to them also, but they are unique in that they give back to our University kids who are in need.”

At the beginning of every school year, Roy’s Kids helps University Elementary underprivileged students, Mainiero said.

“Roy’s Kids gives our students who do not have them, backpacks and school supplies,” she said. “They are brand new backpacks, and it helps those kids feel like they have their own items for school that are brand new. We target a small group of students in our population who are without. The Roy’s Kids program helps them get what they need.”

Mainiero said during Christmas both the school and Roy’s Kids work together.

“Our teachers and staff adopt a child to buy Christmas presents,” she said. “We then help Roy’s Kids by giving them newly wrapped presents to give out to the children in need. Then, some of those children are our students, so it turns out that we help our own sometimes through this program, too.”

Powell said it is all about helping kids, but he does not do it alone.

“It’s not just me,” he said. “There are a whole bunch of people helping with this.”

Volunteers, donors and other organizations make Roy’s Kids possible.

Roy’s Kids is in its eighth year, Powell said; however, the organization became a nonprofit two years ago.

Mainiero said they love to give back to the community and to the children. “We love to give back, and we feel as a school it is important for children to learn to give to others early on in life,” she said. “It helps make them grow into better people. We want them to grow into people who care about other people in the community. We want that to make them become better citizens. Plus, it feels good to give back.”

Powell said he will be continuing Roy’s Kids forever.

“I will be doing this until the day I die,” he said. “That’s how important it is to me.”

To get involved, donation boxes can be found in front of University Elementary, Mainiero said. She explained that each month donations will go to a different community organization. To sponsor, or volunteer to help with Roy’s Kids, visit www.royskids.com. – April S. Kelley