We Give Tangible Hope To Foster Children
Hope in a Suitcase is a volunteer-driven, nonprofit group benefiting Los Angeles foster children. Children who have experienced violence or neglect often enter the foster care system with nothing but the clothes on their backs or carrying a few personal belongings in a plastic trash bag. Our mission is simple. We provide children and teens in foster care with a suitcase, along with NEW basic essentials and comfort items, to make their transition and their circumstances just a little bit easier and more dignified.
Our three core services include:
Preparing and Delivering Duffles and Suitcases: Fully-packed and personalized size, age and gender specific bags are delivered to our Foster Family Agency partners upon request as they place individual children with a loving foster family.
Hosting “Shopping” Opportunities: We invite social workers and CASAs to pull items from our Hope Boutique for children in urgent need, and to refer highest need tweens and teens with active DCFS cases to free-of-charge Shopping Days at our headquarters.
Stocking Emergency Closets: We stock the on-site closets at entry-point emergency response facilities so staff can focus on comforting and settling newly arrived children rather than scrambling for basic clothing essentials and comfort items.
For the 33,000+ kids in the LA Foster Care System, having stuff of their own helps them feel like they belong. Hope in a Suitcase serves over 3000 foster kids every year, providing them with a suitcase full of comfort and essentials to help ease the transition. To learn more about our organization and services, please explore our website, watch the videos below and TAKE ACTION:
Learn more about Hope in a Suitcase’s mission with this VIDEO.
See our new Headquarters on KTLA NEWS.
Watch our VIDEO to learn more about our “Shopping Day” Events for Tweens and Teens.
To see and learn more, please visit our Press, Publicity & Videos page.
About
No child should have to carry his or her belongings in a trash bag. A personalized suitcase or duffel bag, along with basic essentials and comfort items, sends children entering foster care a message that they are important and cared for by our community.
Take Action
Your efforts and donations can make a difference. Get involved to help kids in your city by:
Organizing a drive for NEW items at your office, school or with your community group;
Making a monetary donation, matching corporate gift or donating a gift card;
Becoming a Corporate Sponsor;
Spreading the Word.
