Student makes care bags for children entering foster care

MARENGO — When Alannah McKibben needed a project for a scholarship, a foster parent and several communities helped her out.

McKibben’s Ag teacher sent the high school senior information about the Uncommon Student Award from the Herbert Hoover Foundation last year. McKibben had to write a proposal for a project in January.

“I explained that my goal was to make care bags,” McKibben said.

McKibben outlined how she would complete the project, and in May, her proposal was accepted. McKibben’s was one of 15 chosen in the state.

To find out what care bags for foster children should look like, McKibben contacted Kris Boyles, a foster parent. Boyles helped McKibben make a list of items that children would need when entering foster care.

Boyle’s foster children helped with the list too.

Boyles suggested putting the necessities in backpacks so the children would have something to carry them in.

McKibben took Boyles’ advice, but altered some items on the list. For example, Boyles suggested Gatorade, but the drink bottles are heavy, so McKibben opted for water flavor packets instead.

McKibben held donation drives at Iowa Valley’s elementary and junior/senior high schools to collect items suggested by Boyles and the children. Churches also hosted donation drives.

The school posted donation lists on its Facebook page, said Alannah’s mother, Kristie, so the community started giving donations.

A lot of people saw it on Facebook, said Alannah.

Some people donated cash, said Kristie, so Alannah could buy what she needed to make sure each backpack had the core essentials.

Every bag has a blanket, said Alannah, and a journal or coloring book, a drawstring bag, toothpaste, toothbrush, brush and comb. Teens are given razors, and younger children get stuffed animals.

Beyond that, the bags included different items depending on what was donated. Some bags have fidget toys. Other have bouncy balls orbooks.

Boyles said that children often don’t feel comfortable eating when they first arrive at a new faster home, said Alannah, so she included a snack, such as a granola bar, and a water bottle in each backpack so children have something that belongs to them.

At first Alannah was going to give the back packs to Families Helping Families of Iowa, but the organization said that Four Oaks would be a better fit. “She’s coming tomorrow and picking up the bags,” said Alannah last Thursday.

The Marengo FFA planned to helped Alannah fill 100 backpacks Thursday afternoon.

Each backpack includes a drawstring bag to keep belongings in. Alannah will fill the extra drawstring bags with leftover items for additional foster children.

Clothing items that were donated were not put in the backpacks because knowing the correct sizes would have been impossible. They will be taken to Families Helping Families so foster families can find the right sizes.

Alannah said the project has opened her eyes to how generous people are. “I got way more than I expected,” she said.

“It has given me a sense of how important it is to help people in the community,” said Alannah.

Alannah’s grandmother, Connie Bullock, made 79 blankets for the backpacks. A sixth grade class from Central Lutheran School in Newhall made tie blankets.

“We used to live in Newhall,” said Kristie, so she suggested Alannah contact some churches there for donations.

St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church in Atkins, St. John’s Lutheran in Marengo, Grace Lutheran in Blairstown, the St. Patrick’s Catholic and First Presbyterian Church in Marengo all donated items or money.

Wilson Counseling Services in Marengo also donated

Alannah keeps a spreadsheet listing donations so she can write thank yous.

“I don’t want people to think I’m taking their money,” Alannah said. She wrote down everything she bought with it.

Alannah was scheduled to meet with the alumni group for the Foundation at the Herbert Hoover Museum during the weekend and give an update on her project.

The top four finishers will receive $10,000 scholarships. The awards will be announced in October.

Alannah will be awarded a $1,000 scholarship for being one of 15 finalists. She hasn’t yet decided what college she wants to attend.