A Full-Circle Tradition: One Last Bird feeder

At One Family Illinois' Chicago Village garden kick-off party this spring, Lucy had one special request: to make bird feeders.

The craft brings back cherished memories she shares with Miss Emily, One Family Illinois’ Education and Family Enrichment Manager.

“When I first joined foster care in early 2020 during COVID, we couldn’t do any group activities,” Lucy recalls. “Miss Emily would come get me, and we’d do a lot of walking and talking.”

Miss Emily and Lucy formed a close bond during their regular outdoor strolls. As they spent time chatting and birdwatching together, they discovered a shared appreciation for nature.

Inspired by the birds they watched along the way, they decided to make bird feeders using pinecones, peanut butter, and birdseed. They hung the feeders in nearby trees and were amazed to see how quickly their feathered friends enjoyed the treats.

“The birds just loved them, I guess,” Lucy says with a laugh. “Because when we’d come back, they’d all be gone.”

The bird feeders became a meaningful tradition. But after a year or two, life began to return to normal. Pandemic restrictions eased, and Lucy settled into the busy life of a typical teenager—balancing school, friends, work, and volunteer activities.

Now, as Lucy prepares for her final spring and summer in the village before heading off to college, she’s feeling nostalgic. She knew exactly what she wanted to do with Emily one more time.

“It was a me-and-Emily thing,” Lucy says fondly. “Now it’s my last year, so I wanted to do one of the first things we did together when I got here.”

Emily was more than happy to oblige.

While she—and so many other One Family Illinois caregivers, staff, family, and friends—are sad to see Lucy leave, they are excited to watch her begin this next chapter.

This fall, Lucy will attend Northern Illinois University, where she plans to study Criminal Justice. The degree is the first step toward her dream of becoming a defense attorney and advocating for youth in foster care who need legal support.

At the garden party, Emily spent much of the afternoon helping children decorate flowerpots and plant radishes, peas, kale, and flowers. But before digging into the gardening activities, she took time to revisit a treasured tradition.

Together, she and Lucy rolled pinecones in peanut butter and birdseed one last time—a simple craft that marked both the beginning of their friendship and the start of an exciting new journey for Lucy.

Fortunately the birds will still get their treats, as Miss Emily introduces the next generation of One Family Illinois kids to the art of bird feeder making.

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