MADISON COUNTY, Ind. — An organization that makes special packs for children going into foster care recently got a donation of stuffed animals from “Jackson’s Joys of January.”
It’s one Noblesville boy’s mission to collect the comfort keepsakes so that every kid can have one.
Now we are hearing from one of the organizations he donated to called “Turn Away No Longer.”
“That’s the first thing they see when they open up the swag pack is the stuffed animal, and I think it’s important,” said Turn Away No Longer Executive Director Tracy Walters.
The swag packs have things like hygiene products, pajamas, blankets, the stuffed animals and a notecard written by a community member.
They are given to children from newborn to 18 years old who bounce from home to home. They will get to keep these bags.
“A lot of these kids come into care with nothing, and no hope, and a lot of trauma and confusion… they don’t know what’s gonna happen to them. Sometimes they have to leave their whole entire family, their friends, their school. They’re uprooted and placed with people they don’t even know so I think that stuffed animal gives them a little bit of comfort.”
The packs go to the Department of Child Services in Madison, Grant, Delaware and Hamilton counties right now. They hope to expand to Marion County soon.
“I always say it’s bittersweet – you know? It’s a bittersweet thing on delivery day to deliver swag packs knowing that, you know, a child, they’re going to children that are being taken away and placed into a different environment… but it’s a blessing we were able to do that,” said Walters.
So far Jackson has donated 75 stuffed animals for the packs. When he made his donation, he got to see how they would be used.
“I got to show him what an impact his stuffed animals were going to make once we place them into the swag packs so he got to learn about that program and he’s just a super kid with a huge heart… huge heart.”
Jackson’s mom says this organization is doing wonderful things in their local and surrounding communities. They are happy to be a small part of the work they are doing.
If you want to donate, you can send an email to TurnAwayNoLonger@gmail.com or visit their website.
