Children receive backpacks Volunteerin' at the car wash
COEUR d'ALENE - About 150 women from the Coeur d'Alene area recently put together 65 backpacks for children going into foster care.
The ladies organized donated clothing, toys and other personal items into age appropriate groups, and put them into the packs.
A week later, the packs were delivered to Karina Anderson, intern at the Department of Health and Welfare for Coeur d'Alene.
"Foster parents will undoubtedly feel the support of the others as they take a child into their home when accompanied with one of these packs," Anderson said.
New pajamas, socks, underwear, a stuffed animal, a blanket, toiletry items and more were included in the packs.
Julie Shepherd serves with women in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in an organization called the Relief Society, and they were looking for a service project.
She had heard about others who were collecting suitcases for foster children who needed something to carry their personal things in when they were placed into care. Prior to this, the children were using garbage bags.
"This is something we could do," Shepherd said.
She pursued the idea with Anderson and learned there were more needs out there. She and her friend, Jolene Hurst, began to organize the units of her church in Rathdrum, Spirit Lake, Kellogg, Wallace, along with Coeur d'Alene and Hayden, to find and purchase items for children ages 2-16.
On Sept. 29, they were inundated with donations. Much to their surprise, everything came in evenly distributed for boys and girls of all ages.
"It seemed like a miracle," Shepherd said.
She said their hopes are that when children are taken from their home, they will feel wanted and loved with a bag of personalized items.
The 65 backpacks may last one to three months, Anderson said, and more would be welcome.
"It shows that someone out there really cares for them," Karina explained.
Anyone wishing to help more can call the Department of Health and Welfare, 769-1515, for more information.