PACK A BACKPACK DRIVE

Pack A Backpack Drive 2013 Begins April 8, 2013

 SUPPORT TEEN MALES IN FOSTER CARE

May is National Foster Care Awareness Month. National Foster Care Month provides an opportunity raise awareness of the experiences and needs of the more than 400,000 children and youth in the foster care system. The campaign also encourages the community to get involved and support these young people.    Youth in foster care often have few personal belongings and carry the items they do have in trash bags as they are shuffled from place to place.

• 52% of the children and youth in the foster care system are male
• 53% of the teens whose parents had their parental rights terminated were male.
• Every year, approximately 30,000 young people leave the foster care system without lifelong families – most at age 18.

Pack A Backpack Drive is our annual National Foster Care Month event.  During the month of May we will collect and distribute new and gently used backpacks & new personal hygiene items to teenage males in group homes, foster homes, and homeless shelters.

BACKPACKS NEEDED: College & sports team backpacks are great but solid, dark colors are best (in good condition only). Duffle bags, messenger bags, and knapsacks also accepted.

PERSONAL HYGIENE ITEMS NEEDED:

Toothbrush         Toothpaste         Mouthwash

Comb               Brush               Shaving Items

Deodorant          Soap                Body Wash

Lotion              Nail Clippers        ChapStick/Blistex

Shampoo            Hand Sanitizer     Acne Cleanser

PACK A BACKPACK 2012

We surpassed our First Annual Pack A Backpack Drive National Foster Care Awareness Month goal and collected 43 backpacks filled with personal hygiene items to teen males in foster homes, group homes, and homeless shelters in the Washington Metropolitan area during the month of May 2012.  The 46 backpacks were donated to KidsPeace, Prince George’s County Department of Social Services Independent Living Program, Hearts & Homes For Youth, DC Family and Youth Initiative, and KOBA Institute, Inc.  Brooke Boersma collected 10 backpacks on the west coast and delivered them to Creative Alternatives in Turlock, CA.

We are grateful to our generous donors. Thank you:

• Carolyn and Arthur Harris
• Laurie Laven Nardinelli
• Brooke Boersma
  
• Crystal Morgan Marable
• Laila El-Asmar
• Phyllis Lewis
• Patricia McBryde
• Katrina Carter
• Way of the Cross Church
• Erica Bigelow
• Julia Knight
• Kathy Bumpass
• Alicia Allen
• Bukky Kehinde
• Victory International Church
• Power of Redemption Ministries
• Sisters Keeper, Inc
• Shutdown Academy
• Michael Bigelow
• Chonya D. Johnson
  
• Nicki and JaMai Sanders

During the month of May 2012, The Teen Toolbox blog was dedicated to sharing the challenges and triumphs of teen males in foster care through interviews with current foster youth, foster parents, foster care alumni, and educators.  You can read the National Foster Care Month blog series by clicking on the ‘National Foster Care Month” tab on the right side of the site.