There are more than 5,000 children in Virginia’s foster care system, and many of them carry their belongings in trash bags.
Volunteers and regional programs have joined forces to pack backpacks full of essential items for children in foster care. The initiative, called Comfort Cases, aims to provide kids with basic necessities and a reminder that someone cares.
Rob Scheer, founder of Comfort Cases, shared the inspiration behind the nonprofit. “My husband and I have adopted five kids out of foster care... all of them arrived with something that people don’t realize kids in foster care have and that’s a trash bag.”
Scheer started Comfort Cases 13 years ago to change that experience. “I came in the foster care system right here in Virginia back in the ’70s, and in 1984, I was handed my trash bag as an 18-year-old out of high school and became homeless.”
He emphasized that the backpacks are more than just a collection of items. “One child every two minutes, (close to) seven hundred a day in the U.S. enter our foster care system. We have to understand that these kids are our future, so we need to invest in them. Everyone needs to know trash bags are made for trash, not children’s clothing.”
At a recent packing event, volunteers filled backpacks with blankets, clothes, toothbrushes, and other small comforts that can make a big difference for foster children.
The event was held at the General Federation of Women’s Clubs (GFWC) Regional Conference at Hotel Roanoke. Comfort Cases partnered with Anthem Healthkeepers Plus to host the packing party and distribute the backpacks. Volunteers, including participants in the GFCW, were there to help out.
Emily Vance, Piedmont regional manager for the foster care team with Anthem Healthkeepers Plus, said, “We are really excited to partner with Rob and the Comfort Cases team to pack these comfort cases and get them out to our region’s Department of Social Services offices.”
Rob Scheer added, “And most of the time, within 24 hours, these cases will be in the hands of a child.”
As November approaches, it marks National Adoption Month and WSLS’s 30 Days of Hope, where viewers can learn about children in the area looking for homes.
Those interested in getting involved or donating can visit the Comfort Cases website for more information.