Backpacks with a Purpose

OVERVIEW: As a mom, I know how important it is to me to make sure my kids have everything that they need (not want, NEED) and I can not imagine how hard it must be for single, homeless moms struggling to survive and provide for their kids. The families supported by Colette's Children's Home are real live people, struggling from abuse, economical crises etc. and they are trying to get their feet back on the ground. 

Orange County Community Report (2006) stated that Orange County had the second highest rate of homelessness per capita in the entire United States next to Detroit, MI. As Orange County begins to emerge from the lingering recession, the 2012 report still states that per capita income is down, cost of living is high, and over all business climate measures are weak.

Single mothers are the fastest growing segment of the homeless population. Many of these homeless single mothers lack the education and skills necessary to become self sufficient. The significance of this problem is that a continuous cycle of homelessness may continue through generations if it is not ended through education and skills to maintain self sufficiency in the community. Colette’s Children’s Home works with homeless women and children to provide emergency shelter, transitional housing and permanent housing. Kristi's Hope really like's that they also provide the life skills needed to secure gainful employment, healthy eating, parenting skills, relapse prevention and conflict resolution.

OBJECTIVE:  We designated a couple of weeks towards collecting as many back pack and school supply donations as possible with the goal of preparing the children living at this shelter to go back to school, ready to learn!


RESULT: We had several generous people drop off back packs and school supplies. We were also blessed with the support of Mama’s Place and Thirty One with Samira. Mama’s Place in Huntington Beach offered their store as a drop off location for donations and even offered the chance to win a gift certificate to the store for every donation that was dropped off! Congrats to the lucky winner!! Samira with Thirty One generously offered her commission to fill each insulated lunch box that was purchased/donated with school supplies.  

                           

On Thursday August 13^th, we delivered 40 backpacks filled with pencils, pens, crayons, glue sticks, paper, folders, erasers, calculators, rulers etc… and 15 lunch boxes to Colette’s Children’s Home.

Sweet Cases for Foster Care

OVERVIEW: In 2013 58,699 children entered foster care in California. More specifically 2,388 children entered foster care in Orange County. When children enter foster care, they usually get trash bags to move their few belongings in. Join us to help STOP this in our local community.

The foster care system can be a confusing and sometimes disheartening place, but through our efforts we strive to give foster children a brighter future, a sense of normalcy and belonging. 

OBJECTIVE: Kristi's Hope teamed up with Together We Rise  and created a fundraising page with hopes of raising money to put towards "Sweet Cases" which would then be handed out to children entering foster care. They will use these bags to take their belongings in rather than trash bags. 

RESULT: We raised money for SWEET CASES and collected over $500 in donations! Each sweet case costs $20.00 and includes a Duffel Bag, Hygiene Kit, Blanket, Coloring Books and Crayons. We also received donations of night lights and sidewalk chalk to include in each bag. We the gathered volunteers together and decorated each bag with fun pictures the children will love. 

The following week all the Sweet Cases will be delivered to a local foster care agency so they can be distributed to the children entering foster care.