On March 1, the Owego Kiwanis Club donated fifty suitcases to the Tioga County Department of Social Services for the Foster Care Program.

   Owego Kiwanis President Jeff Stoke said, “The idea came from Neil Obergefell, Past Lt. Gov. of the Kiwanis Susquehanna Division and active Kiwanian. Neil encouraged “Suitcases for Kids” as a way to give transitioning foster children a more dignified means of transporting personal belongings. Working to fulfill this need with the Tioga County Department of Social Services has been very rewarding.”

   Lalor Creekside Dental donated toothbrushes and tubes of trial size toothpaste for a toiletry kit to be included in the suitcases. The Dollar Bazaar donated combs, brushes, tissues, and clear bags as part of the toiletry kit. Many times as foster children are moved, personal hygiene items are left behind. The charitable donations of Dollar Bazaar and Lalor Creekside Dental will help alleviate this issue.

   Gail Barton, Deputy Commisioner of Tioga County Social Services, stated, “Placement in foster care is very traumatic for a child regardless of the situation. Most placements occur with little notice, resulting in the child’s belongings being quickly loaded into some type of box or plastic bag. The donation of suitcases from the Owego Kiwanis Club may allow children coming into foster care the opportunity to move with a sense of self-respect and pride. We are very excited and appreciative of the Owego Kiwanis Club for undertaking and sponsoring this community activity to support our foster care program and the foster children of Tioga County.