[/caption] Bristow resident Terri Stevens, owner of Cornerstone Landscaping in Haymarket, and her teenage daughter Emily are currently working to collect “Comfort Cases” for children in foster care system in Northern Virginia.
Comfort Cases are backpacks or duffle bags filled with sleep away necessities such as pajamas, slippers, soap, shampoo, other toiletries, coloring books, stuffed animals and blankets. The Stevens are asking local residents to donate any of these items, either individually or together in a Comfort Case. They are also looking for volunteers to attend a packing party on March 29 from 10-2 p.m. at 9535 Linton Hall Road in Bristow to compile the Comfort Cases.
“Sadly children move from foster homes, they aren’t given things that they need.” Emily explained to Girl Scouts from Troop 276 at Piney Branch Elementary School in Gainesville.
She hopes these cases will give the children many things they will need in a new home.
Emily and her mom are currently the only people collecting Comfort Cases in the state of Virginia. They were inspired by a similar program started by their family friend Robert Chasteen Scheer. That program has been successful in Maryland.
Scheer grew up as a foster child himself, and he remembers moving from home to home as a child with nothing to call his own.
“When Robert was in the system, all he had was garbage bag to carry his things. He adopted four children, and when they came to him they also had only garbage bags,” Emily explained to the girls at Piney Branch.
The Stevens also ask that the items be newly purchased, or never used, as most of these children have had nothing but second hand items their entire lives.
“We do prefer new things,” Emily said. “It will be a great feeling for them to take a tag off something they really own.”
She also explained that children are sometimes in the foster care program from birth up until 18 years or older. Thus, they are collecting items for all ages. Items can either be gender neutral or indented for a boy or a girl, as Comfort Cases will be specialized.
Scheer started the Comfort Case program so that children would have something to take with them when they go to live with a new family. He thought it would provide a sense of security for them to know that they have something that is their own that they have taken with them.
Once Terri and Emily started the Northern Virginia Comfort Case division of the charitable organization, they become ambassadors for the project. Over the last month Terri has reached out to her friends in the business community, and Emily began talking to young people through schools and scouts.
They found that many people wanted to help; they now have secured several drop off points for items, which should be convenient to a large number of people.
Drop off points for items include Long & Foster Realtors at 7526 Limestone Drive in Gainesville; PostNet in 12841 Braemar Village Plaza in Bristow; RGS Title at 7152 Iron Bar Lane in Gainesville and its Manassas location; Physicians Weight Loss Center at 7604 Gardner Park Drive in Gainesville, D.C. Nova.com in Nokesville, Simply Pure Products in Warrenton, Jewelers and Gifts in Warrenton and Mom Made Cookies in Marshall.
Additionally, Five Below in Gainesville will make a 10 percent donation of purchases when their customers present a Five Below/Comfort Cases flyer between March 21 and 23. They note that several of the itms on the list, such as backpacks, crayons, colored pencils, coloring books, blankets, socks and stuffed animals are available at their store.
The Stevens are also looking for church, family or scout troops to get involved in the packing party. Terri asks large groups to contact her ahead of time at 703-489-7017 or email emily.comfortcases@gmail.com. If interest is really high, Stevens will hold a second packing party at another location.
Items that have already been donated in bulk include blankets, toothbrushes and soap products. Items they are still greatly in need of include duffle bags or backpacks, pajamas and stuffed animals.
Home made items are welcomed as well, and they ask that people keep the tags on store bought items, so children can enjoy receiving something new!
Interested readers can visit http://comfortcases.org.
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