For many children entering foster care, one of the first experiences they face is packing their belongings into a trash bag.
It’s a heartbreaking reality that inspired the creation of Susan’s Kids Care Drive five years ago. What began as a simple effort to provide dignity and comfort to children entering care has grown into a powerful community movement across Kansas.
This year, that movement reached new heights.
The 2026 Susan’s Kids Care Drive collected more than 4,000 donated items—more than triple last year’s total of approximately 1,300 items. Thanks to the generosity of individuals, churches, schools, businesses, and community partners, children entering foster care will receive practical items that provide comfort, stability, and a sense of belonging during one of the most difficult transitions of their lives.
“The Susan’s Kids Care Drive began inspired by the statistic that many foster children are given a trash bag to pack their things when they are taken into custody,” said Britt English, Associate Director of Marketing for EmberHope Foundation. “A solid bag, a good pair of shoes, and a cozy blanket can make the world of difference in creating a sense of normalcy when their ‘normal’ is upended.”
A Community That Showed Up
Throughout the drive, churches and community organizations across Kansas stepped up in remarkable ways.
St. Paul’s Catholic Church donated viable items collected through its annual church garage sale. Grace United Methodist Church in Winfield organized a shoe drive and collected 150 pairs of shoes in honor of Iranian school girls. St. Catherine of Siena once again demonstrated extraordinary generosity through its stewardship efforts.
Together, these and many other supporters helped make this year’s drive the largest yet.
But one of the biggest surprises came from an organization nearly 700 miles away.
Day1Bags Makes a Big Impact
This year, the Care Drive partnered with Day1Bags, a nonprofit organization based in Boerne, Texas, whose mission is to ensure children entering foster care never have to carry their belongings in trash bags.
Day1Bags provides new backpacks and duffel bags to foster youth across the country while also advocating for legislation that bans the use of trash bags as a primary means of transporting children’s belongings.
When Day1Bags reached out to ask how many bags were needed, English had a hopeful answer.
“Initially I told them I’d be thrilled if they could send 500,” she shared.
Instead, they sent more than 2,200 bags.
The donation will help ensure hundreds of children entering care receive something as simple—but as meaningful—as a new backpack or duffel bag to call their own.
Unexpected Gifts and Creative Generosity
Among the thousands of donated items were several surprises that made this year’s drive especially memorable.
Students in grades four through eight at Christa McAuliffe Academy donated 53 custom-made STEM career Barbies. Students learned to sew clothing, create 3D-printed accessories, research STEM professions, and write informational materials to accompany each doll.
The result was a collection of one-of-a-kind Barbies representing careers ranging from graphic designer and laboratory technician to wildlife veterinarian—offering encouragement, inspiration, and new possibilities for children who receive them.
A Labor of Love
Collecting more than 4,000 items is one thing. Sorting and distributing them is another.
The task fell to a dedicated team that included members of the EmberHope Foundation staff, Susan’s Kids videographer Greg and his family, and numerous volunteers who spent hours sorting donations, matching shoes, organizing supplies, and preparing items for distribution.
“Sorting and organizing, matching shoes, and divvying up over 4,000 items was not easy work,” English said, “but it was work worth doing.”
The donations were distributed among EmberHope, DCCCA, St. Francis Ministries, FosterICT, and Hope Fostered. Each organization received more than 600 bags, 120 pairs of shoes, 65 blankets, and 10 STEM Barbies to support children entering care.
The Power of Community
For English, the Susan’s Kids Care Drive represents something much larger than backpacks, shoes, or blankets.
“To me, this drive is so much more than collecting items,” she said. “It’s raising the bar of how we as a community can lift up some of our most vulnerable.”
She notes that children do not choose to enter foster care, yet many face significant challenges and uncertainty through no fault of their own. The overwhelming response from communities across Kansas sends a powerful message to those children: they matter.
“Watching this city, this state, come together in as many forms as this Care Drive has asked, proves the power of community lies within each of us and how important we truly are to one another,” English stated. “No one gets through life alone, and this drive showcases the power of community.”
Thank You, Kansas
When asked what message she would share with everyone who donated, organized collection drives, volunteered, or supported the effort in any way, English’s response was simple: “Thank you.”
“Items as simple as a backpack, a nice pair of shoes, and a blanket can change how a foster child sees themselves and sees their community as something they can rely on.”
As the final donations are distributed and another successful drive comes to a close, English hopes the momentum continues.
Kansas currently supports up to 6,000 children in foster care, with new children entering care every day. While not everyone is called to become a foster parent, everyone can play a role in supporting children and families.
Whether through volunteering, supporting foster families, making a financial gift, or simply learning more about the needs facing children in care, every action matters.
“While not everyone can foster, everyone can do something,” English encouraged.
And thanks to the thousands of Kansans who answered that call this year, hundreds of children entering foster care will begin their journey with a little more comfort, dignity, and hope.
Get Involved Throughout the Year
The generosity displayed through this year’s Susan’s Kids Care Drive is a beautiful reflection of what can happen when people come together with compassion and purpose. While the drive may be over, the need remains—and so do the opportunities to serve. Whether through volunteering, donating, becoming a foster parent, or simply learning more about the needs of children in care, you can help bring hope, healing, and support to youth and families every single day!
