This first-of-its-kind initiative unites communities, raises awareness, and empowers youth through volunteer-led “Packing Parties,” delivering 6,000 backpacks across Georgia to date.
On National Adoption Awareness Month, Comfort Cases and Amerigroup Georgia are celebrating the anniversary of their initiative to support every child in foster care across Georgia. Through this partnership, numerous “Packing Parties” have been held in every area of the state, bringing together local volunteers to assemble “Comfort Cases®” filled with essential items and delivered to local support group homes and child placement agencies. These events unite communities, raise awareness about the importance of support for children in foster care, and empower children in need by ensuring each one has a Comfort Case to call their own.
With Amerigroup’s sponsorship, local support groups and agencies received free “Comfort Case” backpacks filled with essential personal care items, including new pajamas, a blanket, a hygiene kit (toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, and conditioner), a book, a journal, and a “stuffie.” Additionally, they received the “Comfort XL,” a 32-inch duffel bag designed to fold compactly for easy use during transitions. Each Comfort Case has a retail value of $108, and each Comfort XL retails for $149.
“In this first year, we’ve distributed over 6,000 Comfort Cases, but our mission isn’t complete. We’re dedicated to reaching every child in the Georgia foster care system to ensure they feel seen, supported, and empowered to thrive.”
Since the partnership launch last November, 4,656 Comfort Cases and 5,727 Comfort XLs have been distributed to 51 agencies in 36 cities across Georgia. With more than 11,000 youth in foster care in the state, the program aims to reach every child, replacing the use of trash bags for transporting children’s belongings.
On any given day, there are over 390,000 children in foster care in the US. Many are removed from their homes with minimal personal belongings, often carried in a trash bag. Every child deserves a special bag to carry these personal items.
“Being taken from your home, no matter the reason, is incredibly traumatic. To then carry your few belongings in a trash bag into a new place with new people is a heartbreak that we can change for these children. Through this partnership with Comfort Cases, we’re giving these kids something that belongs just to them, reminding them that they matter. Our mission is to ensure no child in Georgia has to go through that experience and that they can experience some continuity during a really difficult time.”
Bhavani Solanki, Director Foster Care, Amerigroup Georgia
Reflecting on the first year of the program in Georgia, Comfort Cases founder Rob Scheer, who also experienced foster care as a youth and who along with his husband have adopted five youth from the system, shared, “With each backpack we deliver, we’re providing more than essential items – we’re offering hope, compassion, and a brighter future. In this first year, we’ve distributed over 6,000 Comfort Cases, but our mission isn’t complete. We’re dedicated to reaching every child in the Georgia foster care system to ensure they feel seen, supported, and empowered to thrive.”
This exclusive partnership between Amerigroup Georgia and Comfort Cases marks a historic moment in the nation’s efforts to support children in foster care. The first-of-its-kind initiative showcases the power of collective action to make a real, sweeping impact at such a large scale and sets an inspiring precedent for other states to follow, ensuring that all youth in foster care across the country receive a Comfort Case as a critical reminder that they deserve dignity and that they are respected and loved.
Amerigroup’s parent company, Elevance Health, and Comfort Cases have previously hosted packing parties across 15 states, Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico, providing over 10,000 Comfort Cases and XL duffle bags to youth in foster care nationwide.