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November 23, 2012

Carry-On Campaign ensures foster children can pack in luggage, not garbage bags

By MATT CHRISTIAN Princeton Times

PRINCETON — Princeton residents looking to help those less fortunate this holiday season have another option — donating new or slightly used luggage and toiletries to foster children.

“You have kids going from dysfunctional homes into foster care,” U.S. Attorney R. Booth Goodwin said standing outside of the Children's Home Society building on Harrison Street. “A lot of times the only thing they have to carry their stuff in is a garbage bag and that's unacceptable.”

Goodwin had Mission West Virginia Public Relations Director Carrie Dawson share a story about a young boy going from foster care to a permanent living situation with relatives in Ohio to illustrate the importance of the campaign.

The boy had his things in a garbage bag. When he got ready to leave, another bag filled with garbage laid beside of the bag his stuff was in. The boy mistakenly grabbed the wrong bag and went to a new home unknowingly carrying a bag of trash and not his stuff.

“This campaign gives them some of the necessities so they don't have to completely rely on others,” Dawson said.

•••

Goodwin first learned about Mission West Virginia's Carry-On campaign about six months after the campaign began. Once he found out what it was, Goodwin told his staff that they had to help.

Goodwin's office partnered with Mission West Virginia and he travels throughout the state to promote it. At four sites, one in Parkersburg, Charleston, Beckley and Princeton, people wishing to help can donate new or slightly used luggage to the campaign.

Several items can be purchased to make sure the transitioning child has some of the items they need when going from foster care to a permanent home or from a dysfunctional home to foster care.

Locally items can be dropped off at the Children's Home Society office located next to the Sacred Heart Catholic Church on Harrison Street. Items requested include luggage, toiletries, and games.

More information on the Carry On campaign can be found at missionwv.org.

— Contact Matt Christian at mchristian@ptonline.net.

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