Y EXPLORERS STEP UP TO CONTRIBUTE SCHOOL SUPPLIES FOR FOSTER CARE KIDS
Kiddos in Explorers Summer Camp collected 10-cent deposit cans each week this summer to raise money for their own Friday special snacks—popcorn, fruit snacks, and watermelon being some of the favorites.
But then they noticed the backpacks and school supplies being collected in the Y lobby for local foster care children. This gave them the idea to forgo their special Friday snack in favor of raising money to help other kids.
“The Explorers have the most generous hearts,” says Michele Loveall, director of the Explorers Summer Camp. “I didn’t have to convince them—they came up with the idea on their own and they are motivated by their desire to help others in need.”
The Eugene Family YMCA’s member-led volunteer group Togetherhood™ teamed up with Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Lane County to collect and distribute new backpacks and school supplies for local foster children.
Last year, 1,600 children spent at least one night in foster care in Lane County, which has the highest rate of children in foster care in Oregon.
“The Eugene Family YMCA has long supported children with significant barriers in their lives—through our afterschool, sports, summer camp, and schools-out programs,” says Eugene Family YMCA CEO Brian Steffen. “It is part of our mission and our passion to nurture our entire community’s youth, even those not enrolled in Y programs. Our Togetherhood™ partnership with CASA means that we can reach foster care youth throughout Lane County with a successful start to this academic year.”
New school supplies and backpacks give an advantage to foster care kiddos who might otherwise be unprepared for school. Not only will these students arrive at school with the necessary tools, they will also fit in with their peers.
And that was important for the Explorers campers, who raised $50 in cans and bottles for the drive.
“We don’t want a kid to go to school without a backpack,” one child shared.
CEO Brian Steffen, inspired by the Explorers’ enthusiasm, matched the $50 donation—doubling the impact of their contribution.
