What They Do
Children rescued from abuse, abandonment, domestic violence, or homelessness often leave with no belongings. My Stuff Bags Foundation provides a duffle bag of new belongings to children arriving at crisis shelters across the country, as rescuing agencies do not have the resources to provide the most basic childhood essentials. Each bag contains a stuffed animal, toys, games, books, school supplies, toiletries, and a security blanket (often handmade by people across the country). Since 1998, they have distributed bags to over 650,000 children through over 2000 agency partners.
Recently, we had three children that came to our center after being witnesses to homicide. The children witnessed their father killing their mother and were immediately taken into protective custody by Child Protective Services. Due to the nature of the crime, the children were not able to return to their home to gather any personal belongings before moving in with their sister. SafePath Intervention staff members were able to give them their “My Stuff Bags” which gave them basic toiletries to freshen up since they were up all night long, as well as help provide them with the basics before moving in with their sister…The bags ended up being critical to these children because they ended up not being able to go home to get any of their personal items because the house was an active crime scene.”
-SafePath Children’s Advocacy Center, Inc., Marietta, GA
“The impact of My Stuff Bags has been tremendous and heartwarming! For one single mom and her 7th-grade autistic son, we were able to provide a My Stuff Bag after they had been moved into one of our local housing shelters. Mother and son were thrilled to have received the bag and even sent over a cute picture of the son wearing the bag. His smile was big and contagious! He loved the stuffed animal inside as well as the other cool items. My Stuff Bags has helped us better serve children by being able to provide a tangible, brand new bag with goodies and personalized items to children who have only been able to get used donations or handy downs in the past. It helps us be able to empower our children and see their faces light up when we realize that the duffle bag is uniquely for them.”
-Santa Cruz County Office of Education
“Many of our children have grown up in environments where kindness was a rarity and receiving these bags that are just for them is a rare moment of compassion and caring. Many of our kids cried upon receiving them from being overwhelmed with a feeling of being cared for.
There are not enough words to properly express my gratitude for your organization and their support of these amazingly resilient children.”
-Public Safety, Domestic Violence & Vulnerable Populations
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