“A good way to have a good day.”

United Way of Southwest Michigan is honored to feature the Stokes Family as an outstanding example of volunteer service and dedication during National Volunteer Week: April 17-23, 2022.

THE STOKES FAMILY is as much of a fixture at Cass County’s annual School Supply Spectacular as the backpacks that are given away. Each August, you can count on Dowagiac resident Keaka Stokes, 40, and her four children—Jason, 21; Jacob, 19; Joshua, 17; and Kayden, 15—to put in days of hard work in the hot sun making sure as many as a thousand kids in need, from kindergarten through 12th grade, get a backpack filled with grade-appropriate school supplies to start the academic year.

The Stokes Family has been doing this for so long that they don’t remember how long—and neither does anyone at United Way of Southwest Michigan, which has been coordinating the event for more than a decade. All that staff, volunteers, and beneficiaries remember is watching the Stokes kids grow up over the years—taller in stature, of course, and also in character, thanks to a mom committed to instilling values of service in them.

What most people don’t know about the Stokes is that they’ve been on the receiving end of help too—and their journey of healing is what inspires them to tend to others.

Give & receive 

Keaka does remember how she first learned about School Supply Spectacular. It was at Brookside Learning Center in Cassopolis—one of the two locations in Cass County where School Supply Spectacular is held. Brookside Learning Center serves students who have speech, physical, or health impairments. Two of Keaka’s kids, who experienced speech delays in their early years, were students there. 

“The teacher was wonderful. In one year, she got them to speak in small sentences. In two years, they wouldn’t be quiet!” Keaka said. “Now they’re like every other talkative teenager.”

It was around that time that Keaka spotted a flyer at Brookside that advertised School Supply Spectacular. Her kids needed backpacks, and United Way needed volunteers. She signed up for both. “As a single mom, money and time are tight, so it’s hard to find things we can do as a family. And here was a way for us to run around together outside and put the kids’ energy to good use,” she said.

After that first year, it simply turned into an annual family tradition that they all look forward to. “I never had to pull teeth to get the kids to go,” she said. “Receiving feels good—we all know that and the kids have received plenty—but giving is another kind of gratification. Of course, they also know you do it because it’s the right thing to do.”

Do the right thing

Keaka knew exactly the right thing to do in June 2020 while driving with her kids through downtown Kalamazoo. Many storefronts had been smashed during that time of social unrest. When Keaka spotted a man with paint on the sidewalk, she knew how to bring healing to this hurt place. The family got out of the car and asked the man if they could use some of his paint and they started creating murals on boarded-up windows. Other people did the same.

“The best parts of the community came out,” she said. “It was the nicest moment of the pandemic. Everyone was socially distanced and masked, but we were able to be together and have conversations and make art. Everyone painted something different.”

The mural experience has inspired Keaka to work more on her art. She and her family have long made art together as a hobby—from painting to drawing to ceramics.

In total, 36 different artists created nearly 30 murals on boarded-up storefronts in downtown Kalamazoo, all on the topic of togetherness and community support—and people noticed. Once boards were removed from businesses, the Kalamazoo Downtown Partnership relocated all the murals to the Arcadia Creek Festival Place for display.

In September 2020, the Kalamazoo Valley Museum accepted nearly a dozen pieces from the mural project—including Keaka’s, entitled “Lift Every Voice”—as part of its mission to collect, preserve, and promote the region’s history, but also a part of its strategic commitment to become a more diverse, equitable, accessible, and inclusive museum. As part of the museum’s permanent collection, the murals will be used in upcoming temporary exhibits whenever they can be used as interpretive tools, and the pieces will be displayed during special events at the museum, including but not limited to, the annual Juneteenth celebration and Black History Month programs. 

Keaka sums up her philosophy about volunteering: “Small acts of kindness could save someone’s life. That’s a good way to have a good day.”

Pass it on

The mural experience has inspired Keaka to work more on her art. She and her family have long made art together as a hobby—from painting to drawing to ceramics. And it’s something she enjoys as she contends with lupus, which forced her to stop working three years ago. She had worked in hospitality, primarily as a cook, throughout her career.

Lupus is starting to limit her ability to help at School Supply Spectacular—but it’s not stopping her from coming as the kids’ supervisor. Her fledglings are launching, and “they can do it on their own now,” she says of School Supply Spectacular—but also of life.

Her oldest son, Jason, is a graduate of Dowagiac High School, works at Cass County Medical Care Facility, and is studying toward an associate’s degree in biology at Lake Michigan College. “We started volunteering at School Supply Spectacular because of our mom, and we’ll keep doing it for years to come,” Jason said. “She taught us. She’s our role model. She’s passed it down to us to be a leader.”

Her youngest daughter is also going into healthcare. Kayden, a high school sophomore, is already taking college classes. She is very motivated to become an anesthesiologist. She wants to get her prerequisites out of the way while still in high school, so she can go straight into her program at University of Michigan.

“When I told my mom I wanted to be a doctor, she said, ‘What kind?’ I said, ‘I don’t know, I just want to heal people,” Kayden said. “Later I decided that anesthesiology is a crucial part of that process.”

With three older brothers, Kayden is tougher than the average girl—so what does she do for fun? Roller derby. “She’s driven,” Jason said, with obvious pride, “she’s very driven.” Even about volunteering. Kayden said, “It’s nice when you have a straightforward goal and it’s achievable. Everyone works together, and it’s satisfying when you complete it.”

Keaka sums up her philosophy about volunteering: “Small acts of kindness could save someone’s life. That’s a good way to have a good day.” Seems like Keaka has figured out—for herself and her children—how to string a bunch of those days into a good life. ▢

“We started volunteering at School Supply Spectacular because of our mom, and we’ll keep doing it for years to come,” Jason said. “She taught us. She’s our role model. She’s passed it down to us to be a leader.”

Her fledglings are launching, and “they can do it on their own now,” she says of School Supply Spectacular—but also of life.

National Volunteer Week: April 17-23, 2022

SHINING A LIGHT ON THE PEOPLE AND CAUSES THAT INSPIRE US TO SERVE.

National Volunteer Week is an opportunity to recognize the impact of volunteer service and the power of volunteers to tackle society’s greatest challenges, to build stronger communities and be a force that transforms the world. Each year, we shine a light on the people and causes that inspire us to serve, recognizing and thanking volunteers who lend their time, talent, and voice to make a difference in their communities.

National Volunteer Week was established in 1974. Today, as people strive to lead lives that reflect their values, the expression of civic life has evolved. Whether online, at the office, or the local food bank; whether with a vote, a voice, or a wallet – doing good comes in many forms, and we recognize and celebrate them all.

Get ready for Cass County School Supply Spectacular 2022! Mark your calendars: Wednesday, August 17 (Marcellus) & Saturday, August 20 (Cassopolis).

Cass County School Supply Spectacular 2022

United Way of Southwest Michigan is proud to again partner with area businesses and organizations to present School Supply Spectacular in Cass County in August. This annual event provides free backpacks with age-appropriate school supplies to Cass County students in pre-kindergarten to 12th grade. 

This event is for students residing in or attending schools in Cass County only. This event is intended to serve those families in Cass County who are experiencing financial hardship and are not able to afford school supplies and backpacks for their children.

Volunteer signup for the event will begin in July. In the meantime, visit Volunteer United to explore opportunities.