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"Poverty may seem cruel, unfair and degrading; however, it cannot destroy those who won't let it," she said. "That's why it is important for middle and upper class individuals to reach out in support. Poverty will not be solved by handing out money, nor will it be solved by criticism and stereotypes.
"The only way to end poverty is to unite with one another to give a hand up to those in need," said this Habitat for Humanity volunteer.
Kinsland has become so involved in the effort that she has organized a high school chapter called Smoky Mountain Friends of Habitat for Humanity.
Habitat for Humanity is a non-profit, Christian ministry that seeks to eliminate poverty housing in local communities by building simple, decent, affordable housing in partnership with selected applicants.
"I had heard about Habitat before, but I never knew much about it," the high school senior said. "Then I read this story about a family that got a Habitat home and how much it meant to them... especially the children... how it gave them a sense of security and sense of self worth. We have things we take for granted, and this family's story made me stop and think about those basic things, like shelter."
So Kinsland started raising money to help support Jackson County's chapter of Habitat for Humanity.
"At our first meeting at the high school I was so nervous," she said. "I was afraid nobody would show up." However, 24 supporters eagerly joined her.
Their first fund-raising project was a youth concert that netted $210. Junior Civitans raised $250. Peter's Pancakes and Waffles in Cherokee, where Kinsland works, donated 10 percent of a day's proceeds. To date, she has helped raise a total of $750.
She also organized a fund-raising Hat Day at Fairview Elementary, where students paid $1 to wear their favorite hat to school.
The activities are fun, she said, "but the best thing is knowing that we are helping."
In addition to fund-raising, Kinsland rolled up her shirt sleeves and helped put the finishing touches on the county's latest Habitat house on Hampton Street.
"At Habitat we say, 'If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door,'" said Habitat board member Irene Hooper, Kinsland's mentor. "Lauren is a real leader and team builder and so well organized. We appreciate her energies and her enthusiasm. It's great to see the positive work youth are doing in our community."
Kinsland began her work with Habitat as an extension of her senior project, which she titled "In the Face of Poverty."
"Poverty is truly devastating, but poverty is not doom. Society as a whole has labeled impoverished children as a waste to society. This stereotype is particularly damaging to these children. This often enhances their difficulties. Poverty, however, out of misery and sickness can tie people together. There is a substantial amount of unity among people living through trying times," she wrote in her senior paper.
"So many families living in poverty or substandard housing long for a simple, decent place of their own. They are willing to work hard for it. But sometimes they need just a little help. I'm just thankful I can be a part of Habitat and help a little," Kinsland said of the organization, which has built or renovated more than 125,000 houses worldwide since 1976.
"I don't want my work with Habitat to end when my senior project ends," said Kinsland, who has already investigated campus chapters at the universities she is considering for next fall. "If I end up going to a college that doesn't have a chapter, I can always start one.
"And I especially want the high school club to continue... that's why we have to lay a strong foundation for it," said Kinsland, daughter of Angie Flaxman and Randy Kinsland.
"The more I learn, the more I see how families appreciate it... it's so much more than a home; it's hope - hope for a new way of life. At Habitat, home is where the hope is," Kinsland said.
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Irene Hooper, right, Habitat for Humanity board member, mentors Smoky Mountain High School senior Lauren Kinsland. As part of her senior project, Kinsland has already raised $750 for the Jackson County chapter and has formed a club at the high school. - Herald photo by Rose Hooper