Ava Ricci and Sophie Zalosh, sophomores at Manchester Essex Regional high school fundraising for children and teenagers in the foster care system through Comfort Cases, a nationwide organization.
Hello Manchester Essex residents!
We are Ava Ricci and Sophie Zalosh, sophomores at Manchester Essex Regional high school. This year, we felt that helping kids less fortunate than us was more important than ever. This thought led us to start a fundraising club for children and teenagers in the foster care system through Comfort Cases, a nationwide organization. Comfort Cases is based in Rockville, Maryland and is founded by Rob Scheer—a fostered child himself. The ultimate mission of Comfort Cases is to give children a sense of stability and dignity. Oftentimes, kids moving through the foster system are given nothing but a garbage bag to carry their few belongings. Comfort Cases strives to make this difficult process a little easier by providing foster children with basic necessities, including books, personal care products and stuffed animals, in a special backpack they can call their own.
This past month we have been fortunate to receive donations of toothbrushes, travel-sized toothpastes as well as floss and other dental supplies from generous, local practices including Beverly Farms Dental and Doctor Donald B. Nelson’s office in Danvers. Our hope is to grow and expand our collection of donated items—this is where you come in! Although there are many items that go into a Comfort Cases backpack, we are hoping to focus on providing one main category: toiletries. Along with the aforementioned dental necessities (toothbrushes, travel sized toothpaste and floss) we are looking for travel-sized shampoo and conditioner bottles. We have placed a large, clearly labeled cardboard box outside of the high school where community members can drop off donated items. Our goal is to collect as much as we can in this box by April 5, so please consider making a donation! On behalf of Comfort Cases and all of the children receiving packs, we are grateful for your support.
For more information about Comfort Cases and their impact you can visit comfortcases.org. Also feel free to contact Ava and Sophie with questions regarding donations here in Manchester: comfortcasesmerhs@gmail.com
