A Bag of My Own Suitcase Drive: Donate Gently Used Suitcases to Foster Kids in Florida

by 26Health Staff

It happens more than you’d imagine: 

A foster kid gets the call that they’re moving to a new home, and they have an hour, or an afternoon, or if they are really lucky, a day to pack their belongings. The kid doesn’t have much: some clothes, a well-worn stuffed animal, a small gaming console. These items get shoved in whatever is available–sometimes a laundry basket, but often a trash bag–for transport to their new home. 

Think about being a foster kid showing up at your new house to meet your new foster family, with all of your worldly possessions in a trash bag. 

We’d like Florida foster kids to have more dignity than that. We launched the A Bag of My Own initiative to collect gently used suitcases for every one of the more than 22,000 children in Florida’s foster care system. Because of your generosity, we’ve already made large suitcase donations to our partners at Embrace Families.

How can you help us get suitcases to kids who need them? If you are wondering where to donate suitcases near you to support 26Health Adoption’s A Bag of My Own drive, drop your donations (wheelie bags, suitcases with handles, and backpacks are all accepted) at the following locations: 

26Health – 801 N Magnolia Ave, #402, Orlando, FL 32803

The Hammered Lamb – 1235 N. Orange Ave, Orlando, FL 32804

Body Street Winter Park – 947 N Orange Ave, Winter Park, FL 32789

Frozen Cow Ice Cream – 1201 Winter Garden Vineland Rd, Winter Garden, FL 34787

J Meyers Insurance Agency – 5003 Old Cheney Hwy, Orlando, FL 32807

Mount Dora BJJ Academy – 2750 Dillard Rd, Ste 1, Eustis, FL 32726 

If you have questions about how you can help a Florida foster kid or would like to support us in other ways, we’d love to talk. Please call 26Health Adoptions at (321) 800-2922 or email us at adoptions@26health.org.