Comfort Cases is a non-for-profit organization which aims to change the lives of children who are living in the foster care system. It is estimated that there are well over 400,000 children who are living in foster care annually. The children who are placed into the system rarely, if ever, have the opportunity to take their most prized possessions with them. Therefore, these young boys and girls will typically leave their homes without any of their belongings. Those who are lucky enough to gather a few of their beloved items must do so by placing them into a trash bag. Comfort Cases focuses their efforts on ensuring that each child who is placed into the system has an opportunity to receive a special bag containing the most essentially daily items, so that he or she may brave enough to face their next journey.
The students and staff at Ross Medical Education Center in Elyria, Ohio understand how important it is to help children who are in the foster care system, especially those who are living in their local community. In May, Ross connected Comfort Cases with the Lorain County Children’s Services and assisted in facilitating a brand new affiliation to ensure that the Comfort Cases donations were kept right there in Lorain County! Each bag contains products that are targeted towards specific age groups (infant-toddler, preschool-elementary and middle-high school aged). Placed inside of the backpacks are a set of pajamas, blankets, books, and hygiene kits. Some of the most crucial items that these young boys and girls need are things that most of us take for granted. For example, the hygiene kits include items like toothbrushes, body wash, shampoo and lotion.
Understanding the need for these critical items, Ross students and staff set up donation bins throughout the campus. After two months of collections, Ross Elyria donated enough items to create 81 Comfort Cases for local children living in Lorain County! The enthusiasm for the project was profound throughout the campus. Many of our students have been personally affected due to their own life experiences with foster care. The staff could not be prouder of the students who took time out of their lives and money out of their own pockets to help make such a positive impact on the young children who are currently living through traumatic life experiences.