By Michelle Church
You were born with the ability to change someone’s life – don’t ever waste it,” to quote Dale Partridge. Loved Again Charities puts those words into action every day. They create “duffle bags of love” for foster children, according to the charity’s president Tammy Davis. “When a child enters the foster care system, most often they do so with just the clothes on their back or very limited belongings carried in a trash bag,” Tammy says. Loved Again Charities fills duffle bags with personal care items, toys, books and new, or slightly used clothing to give to the children.
Loved Again Charities consists of President Tammy Davis, Vice President Scott Church and Secretary/Treasurer Janette Kline. The charity honors Donna Evans and her incredible efforts with foster children. Donna was a remarkable woman and a mother to many; she raised 37 foster children. She passed away in 2019 but her love lives on in Loved Again Charities.
Loved Again Charities was established in 2019. Since its creation, the charity has helped 72 children and at-risk families. Recently, they helped a young man who had just graduated high school. They provided him with a new pair of shoes and gift cards to help him get established as he enters into a job apprenticeship.
Loved Again Charities wants to bring “awareness to the plight of foster and at-risk children.” Tammy shares that “we want to help give them confidence and the drive to beat these odds.”
As foster children age out of the system, they deal with many difficulties and scary statistics. More than 23,000 foster children age out of the system every year. Seventy percent of foster children would like to go to college but only three percent will get a college degree. Seven in ten girls who age out of the system will get pregnant before age 21. Of the boys whom have aged out, or are legally emancipated, sixty percent have been convicted of a crime. “They don’t have the same opportunities to join in activities that require money,” says Tammy. “Most people just don’t know, we want to make people aware… it leaves them excluded, we want to change that, we want to help give them confidence and the drive to beat these odds.”
Currently, there are only three foster families in Greene County. This means that foster children often have to move out of the county when they are placed with another family. This causes the loss of everything that is familiar to them. And they have very few belongings of their own to take with them to make themselves feel at home.
The good news is that anyone can do their part to help this wonderful charity. Loved Again Charities accepts donations of new and slightly used items including duffle bags, back packs, toys, books, personal items and clothing. If you would like to provide donations, they can be brought to 79 South Morgan Street, in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania. Tammy says that the best part of her experience with Loved Again Charities is that “every time we pack a bag for these kids, knowing what it will mean to them… these items add just a little dignity to their lives. That knowledge stays in our hearts…we are amazed at the overwhelming support from our community. It’s heartwarming to see the positive responses from the community when they hear of a need.”
