The International County/City Management Association (ICMA) recently highlighted an initiative that underscores the tenderness one can carry in their outreach to the vulnerable among us. During their annual conference, held in downtown Tampa, the group showcased Hillsborough County Children's Services' Duffels of Dignity program. This initiative seeks to provide youths entering foster care with a semblance of respect, offering them something much more personal than the standard and dehumanizing plastic trash bag to hold their belongings. Delegates from the conference took time off their agendas to help prepare 300 duffel bags for distribution within Hillsborough, Pasco, and Pinellas Counties.
According to a report from HCFL Government, visible on the assembly line was a tapestry made from the kindness of strangers, as conference attendees worked diligently, packing duffel bags with essentials and teddy bears, items that would have otherwise been wrapped in a donated item from Tampa Electric. The bags were stocked with personal care products, and included blank, heart-shaped cards for attendees to pen notes of encouragement to the children. Over 2,000 personal care items were secured for the service project, speaking to the commitment of the community and organizations like ICMA in making a tangible difference in the lives of children in pressing need of support and kindness.
Following the collaborative effort, the heaps of ready duffel bags, now filled with goods and good wishes, were divided among local foster care and support agencies which included Children's Network of Hillsborough County, Family Support Services of the Suncoast, West Florida Foster Care Services Inc., and Children's Services' Children & Families in Need of Services program. These agencies received the duffel bags as a part of the collective mission to dispel the indignity suffered by these young souls, ushering in a semblance of normalcy and care to their often turbulent lives.
Community members interested in contributing to the Duffels of Dignity can make a difference by donating new or gently used duffel bags, suitcases, and backpacks. Donors are encouraged to provide unopened personal care items such as toothbrushes, shampoo, and deodorant, which were jumping off the shelves during the conference event. The Children's Services administrative office located at 3191 Clay Mangum Lane, Tampa, FL 33618, welcomes such donations, which can also be shipped directly to the campus through the program's Amazon Wish List.
