Bags of Hope give more than hope to foster children

Swansea, Mass. (WLNE)- Bags of Hope, a local charity project founded in 2011, hosted an event at the old Swansea Mall, where over 100 community members packed bags for foster children in New England.

The mission of Bags of Hope is to give kids in the foster care system their own duffle bag, embroidered with their first name.

The project was founded by Kimberly Gagne and her husband, who has foster children of their own. They were inspired to create change after they witnessed foster children’s belongings being stores in trash bags.

“It’s really important to us that they have something personalized,” said Kimberly Gagne. She continued,  “So often people will say ‘just give them bags, just give them blank bags.’ But for us, that special item with their name on it and the items inside that are embroidered or monogrammed we just feel like are a real personal touch.”

Volunteers Thursday evening filled the bags with blankets, journals, trinkets, and other donated items. These bags are then distributed to Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Florida, and Indiana.

The project hosts fundraisers and community events all year long, and distributes the bags throughout the Fall and through the holiday season.

Approximately 6,000 children in total will receive bags from the organization this holiday season