Lighten the Load of Foster Care! For every bag purchased, a bag is given to a child navigating the foster care system.
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Disclosure: Many thanks to My Bag, My Story for providing a sample of the product for this review.
Opinions are 100% my own.
I'd not heard of this project before being asked to review it, but I was immediately moved by the story and jumped right on board:
My Bag My Story is a non-profit organization working to improve the lives of children in foster care by providing them with high-quality bags. One Bag Purchased = One Bag Donated!
It's incredibly difficult and heartbreaking to fathom, but there are over 400,000 children in the U.S. foster care system right now--and each year, around 20,000 of those age out without being reunited with their families or adopted! As you can imagine, this can present significant challenges for the transition to independent living for these young people.
My Bag My Story is a heartfelt initiative that addresses a painful truth faced by many
children in foster care. As they move from one temporary home to another, their
possessions are often carried in a trash bag. For every bag purchased, My Bag My
Story donates a high-quality, durable bag to a foster child. These bags are more than
just practical; they are symbols of support and recognition, affirming the inherent
value and worth of every child in the foster care system. This gesture not
only provides something functional, but it also helps foster children feel seen and
valued.
The founder of this program, Cara Finger, shares that "I started My Bag My Story after becoming a foster parent and watching children always having their belongings in a trash bag or grocery sack or nothing. Everyone
kept saying this was normal. I said it doesn’t have to be normal, so I set out to have
bags made for kids. Having a bag to
call your own instead of a trash bag gives a child dignity and makes them feel valued. A bag seems so small but makes a huge difference in their foster care experience. Making a child feel like they are worth more than trash is so important to me."
Key elements of the My Bag My Story’s support for foster youth include:
- Donations: Through its donation program, every dollar donated goes towards giving a child in foster care a bag they can call their own.
- Dignity Program: My Bag My Story has partnered with over 30 Tennessee-based organizations who work directly with children in the foster care system in order to get them high-quality duffel bags and backpacks.
- Supporters: As a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, My Bag My Story depends on the support of local and national corporations, including Dell, The Predators Foundation, St. George’s Episcopal Church and Target.
As both a teacher of students living in foster families and the friend and neighbor of families who have fostered, I've witnessed the realities of both the good and the bad of this world.
That's what's so great about this program--any of us can help these special children by helping them have a nice bag to call their very own!
Order a bag here today and help bless a child navigating the foster care system!
#MyBagMyStoryMIN
#endthetrashbag
@mybagmystory
Have you or anyone you know experienced the realities of the foster system firsthand? I'd love to hear! Either leave a comment below or email me at lisahealy (at) outlook (dot) com.
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