Senators Clinton, Dole, DeWine and Murray Host Volunteers Assembling 'Care Packages' for 2,500 Former Foster Youth
19 Oktober 2005 - 9:15PM
PR Newswire (US)
National Care Package Day Supports Former Foster Youth Attending
College WASHINGTON, Oct. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- On October 19, members
of Congress, their staff and volunteers from national organizations
prepared "care packages" for 2,500 college students who had aged
out of foster care as part of National Care Package Day on Capitol
Hill. The Orphan Foundation of America (OFA)'s event -- hosted by
Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton, Michael DeWine, Elizabeth Dole and
Patty Murray -- was designed to draw attention to the needs of
thousands of young people who leave foster care without any
emotional or financial support. Representatives Tom Davis (R-VA),
Kay Granger (R-TX), Nancy Johnson (R-CT), Brad Miller (D-NC) and
Deborah Pryce (R-OH) spearheaded support from the House side. The
Freddie Mac Foundation was the founding partner of the event, with
Gifts In Kind International donating toiletries, school supplies
among other items, as well as Otis Spunkmeyer providing cookies for
the packages. FedEx Express provided free shipping services to
deliver the packages to the students. "The Foundation is thrilled
to be a part of this wonderful effort," said Maxine B. Baker,
President and CEO of the Freddie Mac Foundation. "When you think of
all the barriers foster children have to overcome to make it to
college, you realize how important it is to support their success
and let them know how proud we are of their hard work." Care
packages from home are a practical and emotional lifeline for most
college students. Thousands of former foster youth can only imagine
the joy of opening boxes filled with love and support from their
families. OFA's Care Package program is designed to help those
students experience the same excitement that their roommates and
friends feel when they receive and open a care package, according
to Executive Director Eileen McCaffrey. "Receiving a care package
is more than just getting stuff; it's evidence that someone cares,"
she explained. "In this rich country, we can afford to reach out to
every young person who has no family and invest in his or her
dreams." National volunteer groups including Rotary, Junior League,
Jack and Jill of America, and AKA Sorority were on hand to help
assemble the packages "with care." The groups will continue to
serve as sources for mentoring in communities across the country
while promoting the needs of foster youth who age out of the foster
care system with their audiences. "Gifts in Kind International has
a long history of supporting programs that clearly improve the
lives of people who are in need from all around the world," said
Richard Wong, President and CEO of Gifts In Kind International
(GIKI). "We are honored to help the Orphan Foundation of America
compile and distribute 2,500 support packages for those college
students in need." Thousands of foster children age out of the
system each year, with no family or home to call their own. Studies
show that less than fifty percent of foster youth graduate from
high school and less than ten percent go on to post-secondary
education or vocational training. Former foster youth who receive
scholarship funds, mentoring and support -- including care packages
-- from the Orphan Foundation of America have a thirty percent
higher rate of graduation than their peers without such support.
The Orphan Foundation of America advocates for older foster youth
who were never adopted and provides a comprehensive scholarship
program. OFA annually administers over $11.5 million in scholarship
and state voucher money to students in all 50 states. The care
package program is just one of many initiatives OFA has created to
ensure that young people aging out of the foster care system are
encouraged to succeed as adults. For more information on the many
ways OFA is helping America's former foster youth, visit the
website at http://www.orphan.org/ or call OFA at 571.203.0270.
Created by Freddie Mac in 1991, the Freddie Mac Foundation helps
create hope and opportunity for children and their families. The
Foundation funds programs in the areas of foster care and adoption,
youth development and strengthening families. As one of the largest
corporate philanthropists in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan
area, Freddie Mac and Freddie Mac Foundation have invested nearly
$250 million in nonprofit organizations serving children and
families. Gifts In Kind International (GIKI) is the third largest
charity in the U.S. and the world's leader in product philanthropy.
Its network of 450-plus Gifts In Kind(R) programs provides
nonprofits access to million of dollars annually in product
donations from companies worldwide-nearly $820 million in 2004, an
increase of almost $35 million from 2003. For more than 20 years,
GIKI has been a vital connection between communities in need and
companies wanting to contribute essential products for emergency
relief, community rebuilding and community services. DATASOURCE:
Freddie Mac Foundation CONTACT: Tamar Abrams of Orphan Foundation
of America, +1-703-526-0090 or +1-703-855-4900 Web site:
http://www.freddiemac.com/ http://www.orphan.org/
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