Pahrump Lions Club’s ‘Kases for Kids’ effort helps ease strife for foster youth

When a child is removed from their home by the Division of Child and Family Services, the experience can be a traumatic one.

Even if those children had been experiencing abuse or neglect and the removal is necessary for their safety, being taken away from everything they know, from all things familiar, and thrust into a new situation can prove distressing. Many times, these removals are conducted quite quickly as well, leaving the children with little opportunity to pack their belongings, so when they arrive at their new foster home, they often have little to nothing to call their own. This in turn can compound negative emotions and lead to further anguish on the part of the child.

Recently, the Pahrump Valley Lions Club stepped up to help provide some comfort and solace to such children with a donation of backpacks filled with personal items that can be given to youths facing this situation.

The donation was made on Thursday, April 22 to the local Division of Child and Family Services office, with members of the Pahrump Valley Lions Club hauling the packed bags inside and proudly presenting them to DCSF officials.

“Each of the 20 backpacks we donated contained a stuffed animal, a blanket and a hand-held or card game,” Lions Club member Sue Bai detailed for the Pahrump Valley Times. “The backpacks included hygiene items such as lotion, soap, shampoo and dental hygiene bags with toothbrushes, toothpaste, floss, mouthwash and two-minute timers as well.”

Bai said the group had chosen to engage in what is known as “Kases for Kids”, which is a program dedicated to providing personal belongings to children entering or those already in the foster care system. These children have already faced so much turmoil and disruption in their lives, so Bai said the Lions Club wanted to do what they could to make their transition into foster care a little less uncomfortable.

“We chose Kases for Kids because they usually take nothing of their own when they leave. We feel it is important they have things of their own to ease the changes in their lives wherever they go,” Bai said.

For more information on the Pahrump Valley Lions Club visit its Facebook page or email club president Brigitte Dubin at brigitte@brockwaymt.com

Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com