When Lisa Dyck, a volunteer from Donate Love, saw a video on Facebook about kids in care bringing their belongings to a new home in garbage bags, she began to ask questions about what happens here in the Pembina Valley.  

In the video Lisa watched, back packs were given to children in care to carry what little they had with them, and for some, they were packed with items for those who had nothing. Lisa found out that there used to be an organization that supplied these back packs to Child and Family Services (CFS) here, but were no longer doing it. 

For Lisa, this seemed like a natural link to the work that Donate Love is already doing, and received approval to move forward with collecting and filling back packs for CFS. 

Lisa Dyck, in the hat, with her volunteers from Donate Love

"It means a lot. Often when we bring children into care, we do so in an emergency, and often they come with nothing," Tracey Bercier, Executive Director of Child and Family Services of Central Manitoba, says. "While the province does provide us with some money in order to purchase some clothes, it's nice to give them something when they come in."  

There is a blanket, regardless of the age, in every back pack and Tracey sees this as a great item to provide security for them in this difficult time, and a message to them that CFS will do their best to meet their needs .  

"You can give something to kids that come in that's theirs, because they have just had to leave everything. It provides children with a sense their needs are going to be met, because often we are taking them out of a situation where their needs are not being met."

Donate Love will be the drop off place for those who would like to donate new back packs and other items to go into them.  Here is a list of items that would be appreciated:

- Back Packs (new)

- Coloring books (all ages)

- Markers

- Crayons

- Journals

- Diapers - newborns

- Feminine Hygiene products

- Deodorant

- Toothbrushes

- Underwear - both genders

- Make up bags (used to put all smaller products in)

- Shaving bags (used to put all smaller products in)

- Socks

- Pajama's

- Toys, stuffies, hand held games, fidget spinners, crossword puzzle type books.

- Receiving blankets

If you have any other ideas, we welcome them! We are making bags from newborn to age 18.