Fostering Hope for Foster Kids
Post date: Jan 23, 2019 5:36:42 PM
When Ellen Begbie’s now-adopted daughter, Unity, came to her family as a toddler in foster care, all she had were the clothes on her back. Foster kids are typically removed from their initial homes with practically nothing, and foster parents rush to gather essentials while trying to help a child adjust. To make those first nights easier for all, Ellen and her husband, Christopher, started Children In Unity, in which volunteers assemble “Unity Bags” with pj’s, toiletries, a blanket, a small toy and a book or journal for each child to carry with them. Since 2013, Ellen, a teacher in New Jersey, has sent out 1,500 bags: “Our focus is on teaching adults and kids to give back,” she says. “People want to help; they just need to know how.”
Visit childreninunity.com to learn how you can start assembling Unity Bags in your area. —Lizz Schumer
Ellen Begbie, a teacher at Robert Fulton school, and her organization, "Children in Unity", was recently featured in the February 2019 issue of Good Housekeeping magazine! Congratulations, Ellen!