Bag Up The Love!
Donation protected
Children and teens in Sarasota County, FL who enter the foster care system are given a black plastic trash bag to pack up their worldly possessions in. This didn't feel right to us, and after a little research we found that groups in other states have successfully started programs to fix this.
Bag Up The Love, working in conjunction with The Safe Children's Coalition and the Sarasota YMCA, will replace the trash bags with brand new duffel bags stuffed with much-needed supplies.
Marguerite initially collected $1000 through gofundme and purchased 100 duffel bag sets to donate in May, in order to celebrate National Foster Care Month in a meaningful way. She also received a $150 grant through the Global Youth Service Day program at Community Youth Development of Sarasota (middle school catagory.) She has since benefited from seed grants provided by Karma for Cara as well as The Pollination Project!
Each duffel bag set contains a coloring book/crayon set (under age 10) or a journal/pen set (10 and older) along with a bag of toiletries and a small stuffed dog, because in the Andrich family, a dog means home. Other items, such as blankets, will be added as funding allows.
Marguerite will continue to fill 10 bags a month to keep up with ongoing demand by rotating this responsibility through various church, school, youth and nonprofit groups in our area. She will seek press coverage through the Sarasota Herald-Tribune and other outlets during the actual drop-off to help spread the word. Community Broadcast Network interviewed Marguerite, as well as Doreen from The Safe Children Coaltion, and made a lovely piece about the project.
We know this appears to be a "local" issue and we agree that it most immediately benefits Sarasota County, but we believe that children are the future of this great country, and must be lifted by all hands to their full potential.
So please help children entering the foster care system pack up things meaningful and important to them with a sense of dignity, and the knowledge that we care.
If every person reading this donates $5 right now we will be shopping for and stuffing bags by tomorrow! But please feel free to donate more, because 100% of all money collected will go straight to funding this cause. Please also share our link with all of your friends as well!
Thank you!
Marguerite Andrich
www.bagupthelove.com
Bag Up The Love, working in conjunction with The Safe Children's Coalition and the Sarasota YMCA, will replace the trash bags with brand new duffel bags stuffed with much-needed supplies.
Marguerite initially collected $1000 through gofundme and purchased 100 duffel bag sets to donate in May, in order to celebrate National Foster Care Month in a meaningful way. She also received a $150 grant through the Global Youth Service Day program at Community Youth Development of Sarasota (middle school catagory.) She has since benefited from seed grants provided by Karma for Cara as well as The Pollination Project!
Each duffel bag set contains a coloring book/crayon set (under age 10) or a journal/pen set (10 and older) along with a bag of toiletries and a small stuffed dog, because in the Andrich family, a dog means home. Other items, such as blankets, will be added as funding allows.
Marguerite will continue to fill 10 bags a month to keep up with ongoing demand by rotating this responsibility through various church, school, youth and nonprofit groups in our area. She will seek press coverage through the Sarasota Herald-Tribune and other outlets during the actual drop-off to help spread the word. Community Broadcast Network interviewed Marguerite, as well as Doreen from The Safe Children Coaltion, and made a lovely piece about the project.
We know this appears to be a "local" issue and we agree that it most immediately benefits Sarasota County, but we believe that children are the future of this great country, and must be lifted by all hands to their full potential.
So please help children entering the foster care system pack up things meaningful and important to them with a sense of dignity, and the knowledge that we care.
If every person reading this donates $5 right now we will be shopping for and stuffing bags by tomorrow! But please feel free to donate more, because 100% of all money collected will go straight to funding this cause. Please also share our link with all of your friends as well!
Thank you!
Marguerite Andrich
www.bagupthelove.com
Organizer
Victoria Andrich
Organizer
Sarasota, FL
Inspired to help? Start a fundraiser for someone you know
