How A Liberty Graduate Used His Internship To Help Kids Get Out Of Foster Care

More than 400,000 children are in the American foster care system. 

It’s easy to get lost in how big that number is, but positive change doesn’t just happen on its own. It takes individuals willing to act, to make whatever difference they can. 

Liberty graduate Joel Thomas was in the right place at the right time to be a part of something big when he interned with For Others, a nonprofit focused on helping children in foster care. Thomas graduated in 2021 with a degree in biomedical sciences. He served as vice president of the Student Government Association during his time at Liberty. 

In fall 2021, For Others partnered with NEEDTOBREATHE to go on tour with the band. The idea was simple — spread the word and let God do the rest. Thomas and the team at For Others set to work on a video to share with each city on tour.

“It’s humbling in a lot of ways because you don’t know how people will react, but also, there’s a peace that comes when you know that it’s not up to you – it’s up to God,” Thomas  said.

Once the tour started, though, things got crazy. Thomas visited 41 cities during the two-month tour.

Days and weeks on end of hard work without much of a break was not easy. Thomas was the For Others road tour representative. He manned the organization’s booth at concerts, compiled nightly reports to send back to the organization and worked hard to make each event the best it could be.

“It can be a very exhausting process,” Thomas explained. “We would do sometimes four nights of shows in a row, then a break day, then two more. Sometimes, we go through things where it’s difficult, and it forces us to realize even more that without God, we’re not gonna make it through.”

By the end of the last stop, the tour raised over $1.1 million dollars for kids in the foster care system.

“It was a huge amount of money raised. It just was a complete shock,” Thomas said. 

The impact of the donations is significant, enabling support for families already involved in the foster care system. But what stuck most with Thomas was not the money.

“I remember there were nights where couples that would come up to me and say (something like), ‘You know, we were just thinking and praying about adopting and fostering and we came and we saw … and that pushed us over the edge. We’ve decided we’re gonna adopt and foster,’” he recalled.

Thomas treasured the knowledge that his work will lead to children finding a home with a loving family.

“We’ve done the best we can, and ultimately for people, God has to move in their hearts, and we’re so grateful that he did,” Thomas said.

Thomas finished his internship in October 2021. Now home from the tour in North Carolina, his next steps aren’t certain. But there is one thing he’s sure of. 

“You can make an impact for God and serve God in any industry that you’re in,” he said. “You can be a light for Christ. Ask God to give you his dreams.”

Blevins  is a feature reporter.