EDISON — Children Services Placement Coordinator Melissa Chilcote is delighted to accept 29 suitcases and back packs for foster children from the congregation of Edison United Methodist Church.
Chilcote said she has hated to send children away with their clothes and belongings in black, plastic garbage bags. That was usually all the children had as they went from place to place.
“This is a great idea and it will definitely be great for the kids to use,” Chilcote said. They are called Bags Of Love.
Lisa Peak, the Family and Children’s Services Administrator said that they can fold up the kids clothes when they come and put them in these nice clean suitcases instead of having them tossed into garbage bags.
Peak said there are presently 34 children in custody with relatives and foster parents in Morrow County. She added that they need foster parents for children and especially for older youth and teens.
Edison church member Rosemary Levings said she heard about a church in another state doing this project. The Edison United Methodist Church has a mission project every fifth Sunday and they thought this would be a great project for their church.
Levings said the church will continue to supply more of the bags for children as they are needed and hopes that other churches in the county might also help in this project when they hear about it.
She said that the Gleaners will be collecting clothing for the children because there is often a need for clothing for foster children.
“I’m really excited about this,” Chilcote said. “I’ve hated putting things in garbage bags for the kids.”
