Wherever they’re needed, this small non-profit shows up for Alberta kids.
The day a child goes into foster care may always be remembered as the hardest day of their life.
Every case is unique, but in Alberta, Children’s Services places kids into foster care when their current situation is no longer safe. But when a child is told they can’t return home, they tend not to see it that way. They’re often crying, confused and scared.
Jewel Lien saw this pain up close as a teacher’s aid and foster parent in Ryley years ago. She saw the hurt on kids' faces as they were going into care, and to make matters worse, they often couldn’t even return home to pack their belongings.
In complex situations like these, Jewel felt like there was nothing she could do. But she was determined — and she believed in the power of her small community to make a difference.
Bags of Love East Central Alberta (ECA) is born
Besides love, what’s inside a bag?
A bag from any Bags of Love might include necessary items for their first few weeks in the foster home, like a toothbrush and toothpaste. They might also include a note that reminds the child they’re loved, and that everything in the bag is meant to give them comfort in a troubled time. At Bags of Love ECA, the note also asks that the child one day pay the kindness forward.
“We’re very careful about not victimizing the kids,” Jewel says. “We want to empower them to stay strong because they will get through this. And when they do, they can brighten their own lives by being kind to others.”
Items in Jewel’s bags are largely dependent on what they receive in donations. But no matter what, there are two items that can be found in every single bag prepared at Bags of Love ECA: a teddy and a handmade quilt.
Quilters from all over Alberta create age and gender appropriate blankets for Bags of Love ECA. “The teddy and quilt are most important,” Jewel says. “Often we hear back from social workers that when a child opened the bag, they said, ‘How did they know just what I wanted?’”
Bags of Love ECA distributes about 600 bags per year with the support of social workers. And not just in Ryley. While the team started working in surrounding areas like Camrose, Vegreville, Wainwright and Lloydminster so many years ago, they now provide bags to 33 Children’s Services offices in Alberta.
More than just kids going into foster care
Most recently, Jewel and her team even sent bags to refugees coming to Alberta from Ukraine.
“What we do is what the people come to us with.” Jewel says. The partnership with Siksika grew out of a social worker needing help with a family who had no heat in their house. The children from Ukraine received a bag because the Sherwood Park School were welcoming students whose families were fleeing the war.
You can help
Whether it’s purchasing and donating teddies, creating beautiful handmade quilts or identifying areas in the province where they could help, the way east central Alberta has rallied behind Bags of Love is inspiring. Because of their hard work and dedication, thousands of kids have received a small token of love in a very difficult moment of their lives.
“I’m not a quitter, I’ll tell you that,” Jewel laughs. “It’s a deep, deep passion that I just will not give up on.”
But the need is high and they can’t do it alone. Jewel envisions a future where there are Bags of Love chapters serving Children’s Services offices all over Alberta. And you can support this vision.
Anyone can start a Bags of Love chapter, but there may already be one in your area. Just like Bags of Love ECA, they’re likely looking for volunteers and donations from generous community members like you.
Contact Jewel and her team to find out if there’s a Bags of Love near you. If there isn’t and you’d like to start a chapter, Jewel can also give you firsthand advice on how to make it successful in your community.
Visit the Bags of Love ECA website for more info, contact details, stories and more.
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