LONDON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Raylee Avera has already developed a strong drive to help others.
Her parents have always described her as very loving and caring.
She loves everybody. She tries to include everybody," Raylee's dad John Avera said.
"There’s a new girl at her school that the first day there she made friends with her and they talk on Facetime all the time. She just tries to be a friend to everybody.”
That kindness has gone past just being friendly, Raylee wants to make a difference.
The wheels started turning around Christmas when Raylee received some money and she immediately thought about what she wants to do with it.
"I thought of homeless people and I wanted to really help them," Raylee Avera said.
"We were driving down the road and she saw someone with a sign on the side of the road and asked if they were homeless," John Avera said.
"She said I really want to give my money to homeless people, and that’s where it all began.”
The focus on the homeless did pivot as time went on.
Raylee formed her desire to help into a mission project, what she called "Nerve to Serve."
The young girl made videos on Facebook, calling on the community to help her raise money and supplies for the Laurel County Life Center which has helped families and women with unplanned pregnancies since 1995.
“Parenthood is a big step, even if you’re ready for it. Even if you do it on purpose. To find yourself pregnant and you have no plan, you have no money, you have no resources, no family to help you. It can be terrifying," Life Center executive director Olivia Taylor said.
"We want to come alongside them and be their village for them and just help them any way we can.”
Olivia connected with the Averas through church leading to Raylee asking to help them.
Through Nerve to Serve, the 8-year-old has already raised more than $800 to help buy clothes, medicine and other resources for babies in the area.
Given the Life Center relies predominantly on donations, Taylor was honored a campaign was started to help her, especially coming from such a young advocate.
“I think, in general, we underestimate kids. Our society a lot of times sees kids as an inconvenience or as a hinderance to the lifestyle we want to have," Taylor said.
"So many times we just sweep them under the rug. I think Raylee is a really good example of kids being just as amazing as anybody else.
Choosing the Life Center was far from a random pick for Raylee.
It was inspired by her own life's journey.
“Because they help women considering adoption and I am adopted so it made me want to help them," Raylee Avera said.
“I think everybody who is out there watching should help their life center too.”
Raylee's parents have navigated what can be difficult conversations with their daughter about adoption and they are so proud to see how she has ran with it.
Her mom Katie admires how her child has not only absorbed the news of her adoption well but she's used it as a positive outlet to help others.
“She’s always started at a young age wanting to help people and I think her understanding of adoption and what’s that about made her desire even bigger," Katie Avera said.
“She’s been able to show at a young age you can take something and understand it and make something big out of it and make other people understand.”
If you want to help out the Laurel County Life Center along with Raylee, you can find out more about the center by clicking here.
