Hillsdale, Michigan – February 11, 2025 – Every day, there are approximately 100 children in foster care in Hillsdale County. Many are removed from their homes with little more than the clothes they are wearing. Sometimes, these children are handed trash bags to carry their belongings as they transition into foster homes.
The Hillsdale County Community Foundation Youth Advisory Committee, Y.O.U.T.H. (Youth Opportunities Unlimited Throughout Hillsdale) believes every child deserves to feel valued, even during tough times. To help foster children feel a sense of dignity and comfort, the group recently packed and prepared 14 diaper bags and 36 backpacks filled with essential items to assist children as they adjust to their new surroundings.
The diaper bags, designed for infants and toddlers, include pajamas, a change of clothes, a bedtime book, socks, a bib, a blanket, and a stuffed animal. The backpacks, which are tailored for older children, contain pajamas, underwear, socks, a change of clothes, coloring books and crayons for younger kids, and journals for teens.
“Our goal is to ease the difficult transition for children entering foster care,” said Y.O.U.T.H. President Kate Nolan. “These backpacks are more than just bags of supplies. They represent love, hope, and dignity for kids facing a tough time. Something as simple as a soft blanket or a journal can make a big difference.”
The Y.O.U.T.H. Advisory Council will be delivering the packed bags to Child Welfare Specialists at the Hillsdale County Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) office. These specialists will distribute the bags to children in foster care as they enter new homes.
The Y.O.U.T.H. Advisory Council is committed to creating a community that cares for its most vulnerable members. By providing these essential items, the council hopes to bring a sense of security and comfort to children during one of the most challenging times in their lives.
The Hillsdale County Community Foundation Y.O.U.T.H. was established in October of 1991. The Y.O.U.T.H. Advisory Council has an ongoing program for studying the assets, needs, and concerns of the young people of Hillsdale County. Y.O.U.T.H. has a special endowment fund, initially made possible by a challenge grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, to make available grant dollars to benefit and involve young people in Hillsdale County.
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Contact:
Mindy Eggleston, Program Director
Hillsdale County Community Foundation
(517) 439-5101, m.eggleston@abouthccf.org
2024-2025 Y.O.U.T.H. Advisory Council:
Carly Beach (North Adams-Jerome), Sam Brown (Hillsdale Academy), Riley Coupland (Hillsdale Academy), Ben Draper (Will Carleton Academy), Noah Eichler (Litchfield), Eve Goodlife (Homeschool), Daytona Grant (Waldron), Leah Headley (Reading), Harper James (Jonesville), Hayden Ladd (Homeschool), David Maier (Will Carleton Academy), Ava Mallar (Pittsford), Julia Mandrelle (Jonesville), Riley McCumber (Pittsford), LJ Moyer (Litchfield), Brandy Neill (Camden-Frontier), Kate Nolan (Hillsdale), Keegan Oxley (Hillsdale), Ava Potter (Reading), Caroline Roberts (Hillsdale Academy), Kara Salyer (Camden-Frontier), Alec Shamplo (Waldron), Marissa Todd (North Adams-Jerome), Emily Toner (Jonesville), Cheyanne Welch (Hillsdale).