my BELONGings

​How to Help

400,000 children enter the foster system in America annually. At any given time there are at least 150,000 children actively in foster care in our nation. Typically these children are removed from what they know as home without anything but the clothes on their back, nothing from their room, nothing from their crib... can you imagine? Arriving in a strange place, with unfamiliar people can be very traumatic for these children in crisis. No wonder statistics show that children in foster care are twice as likely to develop Post-traumatic Stress Disorder than are veterans of war.

 

my BELONGings simply intends for children in foster care to have something to call their own and to snuggle with starting their first night in care.  Each child's my BELONGings duffle contains essential items like, shoes, a brush, clothes but even more importantly, inside there is a book, a stuffed animal and a snuggle blanket, all in the hope of bringing a small sense of comfort, security and even a little peace.  Their my BELONGings duffle also serves as a place for kids to keep important items from their journey and for their critically important life story.

 

my BELONGings is the perfect resource to donate your children's gently used clothing. We need all seasons, all sizes and both genders. Our duffel bags are lovingly filled with a starter wardrobe, including gently broken-in outfits, new underwear, new socks, shoes and jammies. Additionally, each bag contains a new book, a new hair brush and/or toothbrush, if age appropriate, new school supplies and/or new hair accessories and the all-important stuffed animal and a new blanket.