How amazing to have someone “pay it forward” with Sweet Cases. (A solution to the trash bag as luggage problem within foster care.) It is even more amazing when it comes from a child who is currently in foster care!
Giving Thanks To Those Who Help
Learning how to give back takes time. Many people are well into adulthood before they learn the true value of giving. Today we are giving thanks to a young supporter who is currently in the foster care system. We shall call her RR (age 8).
As a child who is currently in the foster system, she received a Sweet Case before her placement with her grandmother. Grandma J shared with us how much joy the Sweet Case brought RR and that it inspired RR to want to give back to other kids like herself. So she decided to pay it forward.
Paying It Forward
To make the Sweet Cases build happen Grandma J set up a fundraiser through the Foster Love – Together We Rise website. Grandma J and RR set a goal for 10 Sweet Case duffle bags and they both saved up to make their sponsorship goal. Once the duffles arrived, RR wanted to write something to put in each bag.
“Essentially, (she wanted) to tell her story, so as to encourage other children who would receive the gift. She dictated- I typed. Then I printed out the letters and she decided to draw a different picture on the reverse side of each of her letters.” -Grandma J.
The Letter
Here is what RR wrote in her letter.
“Dear Friend,
I understand how you feel, because I went through bad things too. You might feel sad, scared, or nervous. But it’s ok, because others have gone through those feelings too- like me! My suggestion is this, don’t think about the bad things, but think the about good things. Like going to a good foster home, or maybe getting adopted, because, ‘The good life is just in “front of you!’ 🙂
I found hope and love in my life by thinking about good things like, puppies, going on a trip with my foster family, thinking about things I love best!
Don’t run from your feelings. Tell your social worker the truth. If anyone tells you, ‘tell them you have a good life,’ and you don’t, tell the social worker the truth. Because I have gone through it and I trusted my social worker. Also, don’t ever be afraid of the judge, because the judge will you get a nice, real foster family, like a real one!
Remember the people you love, remember the things you love, and never feel alone.
Have Love and Have Hope in Life.
Love, RR”
