In 2016 over 4,800 children spent time in foster care in Louisiana alone. Sara McBroom is fighting against this statistic with her new nonprofit organization, Suitcases for New Places.
Suitcases for New Places is based in Monroe and began serving the community in March 2017. The mission of this new organization is to provide bags/suitcases filled with essentials for children entering foster care. With each bag, a child is provided with pajamas, a blanket, toiletries, a stuffed animal, and an age appropriate book. Sara McBroom shares that, "Most children either don't have time to pack, or don't have any items to pack when they are brought into the foster care system." These suitcases and bags can take some of the stress away from a very tense situation.
Since its start, Suitcase for New Places has served Ouachita and Lincoln parish and provided 200 bags for children from infants to 17 years old. The biggest way to support this organization is through donations, whether that is monetary, gently used bags, or new items for the bags. More information on Suitcases for New Places can be found here.