On Friday, November 1, from 9am - 5pm, EMPOWER is hosting a luggage drive to provide children in foster care with their own luggage. 

Luggage can be donated by dropping off in person at EMPOWER’s offices (Dallas and Allen locations), or by shopping the Amazon wish list here.

• Dallas office: 1820 Regal Row, Dallas, TX 75235

• 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 luggage so it is one less thing they have to worry about during this difficult transition.