Colonial Courtyard at Bedford residents delivered duffle bags to the Bedford County Courthouse, where Children and Youth Services planned to provide the bags to foster care children. From left, Genevieve Steinbruner; LifeStages Associate Nancy Mickey; Marjorie Cessna; LifeStages/LifeStories Director Tyler Mizak; Marlene Seese; and Gerald Stewart.
Residents, aged 72 to 104, create and donate personalized bags to replace trash bags
BEDFORD, Pa. – Colonial Courtyard at Bedford team members and residents enthusiastically seized an opportunity to help foster care children by hand-designing, decorating and donating duffle bags.
“We learned that some children in foster care are given trash bags to move their belongings,” said Tyler Mizak, LifeStages/LifeStories Director at the senior living community. “When our residents heard this, they knew that we had to do something about it, even if it’s just a small gesture.”
As part of a community service project, approximately 20 residents participated. Their ages ranged from 72 to 104 years old.
Mizak and LifeStages Associate Nancy Mickey joined several of the residents who delivered the duffle bags to the Children and Youth Services office at the Bedford County Courthouse. The bags will be given to foster care children throughout Bedford County.
“The residents decorated the bags over a span of two days as part of our Creative Flow Club, which focuses on crafts,” Mizak said. “They decided on the colors of the bags during a resident council meeting and then decorated them using fabric markers. Activities staff helped by giving them some ideas but other than that, the residents came up with their own designs and inspirational sayings to write on them.”
The number of children in foster care this spring was nearly 370,000, according to federalregister.gov. More than 700 children enter the foster care system each day, and most are given a trash bag to carry their belongings.
“When we took the bags to Children and Youth Services, they were so excited,” Mizak said. “They said the kids will love them and they will be used for sure.”
The inter-generational project didn’t end with the first delivery.
Mizak said Children and Youth Services plans to contact Colonial Courtyard at Bedford when bags are needed in the future.
“We were told they will let us know when they are running low on bags and we will continue to make them as long as there is a need,” Mizak said. “The residents are enthusiastic about continuing this worthwhile cause.”
PHOTO CUTLINE: Colonial Courtyard at Bedford residents delivered duffle bags to the Bedford County Courthouse, where Children and Youth Services planned to provide the bags to foster care children. From left, Genevieve Steinbruner; LifeStages Associate Nancy Mickey;
Marjorie Cessna; LifeStages/LifeStories Director Tyler Mizak; Marlene Seese; and Gerald Stewart.
For more information, contact Tyler Mizak, LifeStages/LifeStories Director, Colonial Courtyard at Bedford, at tmizak@integracare.com or call 814.624.0100.