Our Core Principles
Bags Not Rags is committed to continue its practices for as long as possible, eventually ensuring that NO child in the United State foster care system ever uses a trash bag as luggage ever again. To this end, as long as cities provide “drop-off locations” we will continue to expand this organization until our mission has succeeded. Once in place, we must sustain awareness of this need in our system. Children will forever be placed into foster care; we must be there to provide for them where we can.
Bags Not Rags supports our Social Service departments, workers, and volunteers. We know that many times social service workers and supporters give of their own pockets to provide for these children. Most Social Services departments are underfunded and overworked and we want to thank them all for their hard work, selfless acts, and support of our children.
Bags Not Rags believes that ALL children in our foster care system are special and deserve the same respect, love and attention as any other child in the United States. Gone should be the days of the stigmas that all foster children are delinquent, uncontrollable, or beyond help. Most of these children only want love and most have yet to see a “normal” household. Is it their fault that they were born in less than adequate situations? They deserve an optimistic view of who they are and what they are capable of.
Bags Not Rags’ main focus is the collection and distribution of new or used luggage-style bags to the social services departments within the same region as the collection points and shall maintain this focus above any other needs. Though we know the needs are great and vary, to maintain focus and to ensure our mission remains true, our collection efforts, time, and focus must remain on the collection and distribute of these bags.