The organization creates comfort cases, bags filled with personal care items, for youth in the foster care system.
Inspired by his own experiences in the foster care system, Comfort Cases CEO Rob Scheer created the non-profit in 2013 with his husband, Reece. According to Scheer, he carried his belongings in a trash bag when he was a child. Years later,he noticed that his adopted children did the same when they first met. From this, Comfort Cases was born and Scheer began to make cases filled with bars of soap, toothbrushes, pajamas, blankets and books to meet the basic needs of children in the foster care system.
“What we are doing at Comfort Cases is giving foster kids hope and dignity,” CEO Rob Scheer said in a video sent to the senior class. “I truly believe that every one of us is part of the same community, and being part of a community means so much to our younger generation.”
Over the summer, seniors donated new backpacks, books, pajamas and money to the organization to meet their goal of 50 comfort cases. Then, on Aug. 29, 40 students and 12 parents gathered at Sidwell to pack the bags with Scheer.
“The experience was very moving since as we fret about college options, we are reminded of the many who lack support from family and see graduating from high school or going to college as a dream,” said event organizer Kathi Webb.
Webb hopes that working with Comfort Cases will help students develop more empathy and greater awareness toward children in the foster system.
“Hopefully, it created an interest in continuing to help kids in foster care, whether directly or indirectly, as they grow up and have opportunities to affect policies, legislation or even decide to foster a child themselves,” Webb explained.
According to Senior Nico Rose, working with Comfort Cases was an inspiring experience that illustrated the importance of helping those in the foster care system.
“Mr. Scheer showed us how packing a backpack, which could otherwise feel insignificant, will directly make one kid feel more loved,” explained Rose. “Imagining the direct impact of the backpack I held made volunteering with Comfort Cases a fulfilling experience and left me wanting to do more.”
Aiming to do more to help children in the foster care system, Rose created a club that offers students additional opportunities to participate in Comfort Cases.
“I hope to provide our community an opportunity to do service and feel good about it,” explained Rose. “That will include fundraising and donation drives and hopefully another opportunity to pack more backpacks.”
