Bags of Love

I been inspired!!! ;) See that bag up there??? Well, I am starting a group to donate bags just like that one to kids that are going into the foster care system. The bags will be filled with toiletries, snacks, books, magazines, etc. Most of the kids going into the foster care system have NOTHING of their own. NOTHING! Especially if the kids are picked up at school, then they just have the clothes that are on their backs. Imagine how that is. You are a kid that is living in a terrible situation. One day someone comes and takes you out of that and into the unknown. You are scared to death! You are going to live with strangers! How scary would that be?? And then there is the worry in the back of their minds about the life they left. Would they be held responsible if they have to go back?? Will the awful situation get worse.

My heart aches for these children.

I called my local Social Services Department and spoke with the head of the foster care system. She said that there is a GREAT need for this type of donation. And she said that right now she has been seeing a lot of pre-teens and teens coming through her office. This age group often gets overlooked when it comes to charities. That's a crying shame. They are not small adults, they are still very much children. They still need all the love in the world. If anything, maybe more so. Being a teen is hard enough without adding the burden of a terrible home life and then stepping into the unknown of the foster care system.

I am hoping that these bags will help them to know that there are people in this world thinking about them, loving them, hoping the best for them.  And at the very least it will provide some of their needs and something to help keep their minds off their troubles while waiting hours and hours in offices while paperwork is done and place for them is found.

I am lining the bags and making them extra durable. It's my hope that they will be able to keep and use them throughout the whole process. Some of the kids may be moved time and time again from one foster home to another.

My inspiration for this comes from Hopeful Threads. What an awesome group!!! And Kristy is an amazing person. Please, go check out the blog and give her some love!!

I urge you all to find out what you can do in your own community to help the foster care system. It is overburdened with so many children all needing a safe place.

Pray for them all.

Matthew 25: 37-45

³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

⁴⁰ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

⁴¹ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fireprepared for the devil and his angels. ⁴² For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, ⁴³ I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

⁴⁴ “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

⁴⁵ “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’