Bag of Hope for Foster Children
Donation protected
Hi , I am Ashley
Garcia, a former foster child from Massachusetts. I am thrilled to tell you that I finally found my forever home at the age of 16 in 2013 after being in foster care for over 3 years. I am currently a junior at Westford Academy, Westford, MA.
After being adopted, I founded the charity, A Bag of Hope, to help incoming foster children. No child should ever have to be part of the foster care system. We suffer many challenges and moves.
A Bag of Hope is a charity dedicated to giving a large duffel bag to a child just entering the foster care system. Unfortunately, social services does not have the financial means to purchase suitcases or duffel bags to pack a child's meager belongings before being brought to a foster home. If they do not have any donated duffel bags/suitcases Social Services must use TRASH BAGS!!! It is horrific enough that a child has been neglected or abused but then to have all of his/her belonging placed into a trash bag makes him/her fell like garbage and worthless.
I understands how it feels to have belongings placed in TRASH BAGS as it has happened to me many times.
My goal is to eliminate TRASH BAGS as an acceptable form of luggage for foster children, whose lives have been disrupted due to no fault of their own.
28" Duffel Bag To Contain
Stuffed animal
The Book, The Suitcases, by Ann Hall Whitt
Letter From Ashley
Personal Hygiene Items
Each Duffel Bag/Items = $40.00
Goal = $40 per bag x 50 bags = $2000
This past November, 2013, I was honored to speak at Voice For Adoption at the Senate Hart Building on Capitol Hill about foster care adoption and my cause. I also got to meet and speak with my senator, Senator Markey.
After being adopted, I founded the charity, A Bag of Hope, to help incoming foster children. No child should ever have to be part of the foster care system. We suffer many challenges and moves.
A Bag of Hope is a charity dedicated to giving a large duffel bag to a child just entering the foster care system. Unfortunately, social services does not have the financial means to purchase suitcases or duffel bags to pack a child's meager belongings before being brought to a foster home. If they do not have any donated duffel bags/suitcases Social Services must use TRASH BAGS!!! It is horrific enough that a child has been neglected or abused but then to have all of his/her belonging placed into a trash bag makes him/her fell like garbage and worthless.
I understands how it feels to have belongings placed in TRASH BAGS as it has happened to me many times.
My goal is to eliminate TRASH BAGS as an acceptable form of luggage for foster children, whose lives have been disrupted due to no fault of their own.
28" Duffel Bag To Contain
Stuffed animal
The Book, The Suitcases, by Ann Hall Whitt
Letter From Ashley
Personal Hygiene Items
Each Duffel Bag/Items = $40.00
Goal = $40 per bag x 50 bags = $2000
This past November, 2013, I was honored to speak at Voice For Adoption at the Senate Hart Building on Capitol Hill about foster care adoption and my cause. I also got to meet and speak with my senator, Senator Markey.
Organizer
Liz Benstead
Organizer
Westford, MA
