EMPOWER, a nonprofit child welfare collaborative, is hosting a luggage drive on Friday, November 1, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. to provide children in foster care with their own luggage. Luggage can be donated by dropping off in person at EMPOWER’s offices in Dallas and Allen, or by shopping the Amazon wish list up until Nov. 2, where the items will ship directly to EMPOWER’s office when selecting “EMPOWER’s Gift Registry Address” at checkout.
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Dallas office: 1820 Regal Row, Dallas, TX 75235
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Allen office: 760 North Watters Road, Suite 100, Allen, TX 75013
Every 45 seconds, a child enters foster care in the United States and is removed from everything they have ever known. In Texas, there are currently more than 13,000 children in the foster care system.
EMPOWER is the Community-Based Care (CBC) contractor in Metroplex East region, a nine-county area in North Texas including Dallas, Grayson, Fannin, Collin, Hunt, Rockwall, Kaufman, Ellis and Navaro counties. The goal is to collect 400 brand new suitcases, providing luggage for children in foster care within the Metroplex East region.
Many of these children have to carry their belongings in an old backpack, a laundry basket or a garbage bag, inadvertently sending a message that their personal possessions lack value. With the luggage drive, the goal is to provide children with their own piece of luggage to give them a sense of dignity as they are going through this difficult transition.
To learn more about how individuals and families can help these children in need, please visit www.3empower.org.