Welcome to the California page of RACH4ACASE, the nationwide fundraiser organized by Miss Teen World America 2020 Rachel Roberts to support Comfort Cases. My name is Katya Shalayeva and I am your Los Angeles coordinator for the drive. 

 Being a mom of a 3-year old, I decided to personally support the national drive. I was so blown away and disheartened to find out that only in California we have over 52,000 youth entering foster care each year.  These kids require temporary out-of-home care because of parental neglect, abuse, or exploitation. The highest percentages are African American and Latino children. Some stay in foster care for weeks; some for years. 

 Comfort Cases provides backpacks full of personal items for children entering the foster care system. Each day, over 700 children are removed from their homes and put into the foster care system. Most of them are given a trash bag to carry their belongings. These children have been neglected and often feel like they don’t matter. Many do not own a toothbrush or have a pair of pajamas. So, Comfort Cases provides backpacks filled with a cozy new pair of pajamas, a new stuffed animal to hug, a toothbrush, soap, and many other personal and fun items.  These simple items help provide children with a sense of dignity and hope. 

 I am helping kids in our community by fundraising for the organization and packing new backpacks for kids! We need your help! Please support our California fundraiser by sharing information about the drive on your social media or making a donation.

 Thank you from the bottom of my heart,

 Katya Shalayeva

Hi!  I’m Rachel Roberts, Miss Teen World America, and I am organizing a nationwide fundraiser for Comfort Cases, a nonprofit organization headquartered in my hometown of Rockville, Maryland. I need your help!

The mission of Comfort Cases is to inspire communities to bring dignity and hope to youth in foster care.  This is a mission that I am passionate about.  There are approximately 437,500 children in foster care in the United States.  Each day, approximately 700 children enter the foster care system, many of whom have suffered neglect and abuse. And now, with the pandemic, there are even more families struggling to feed and care for their children.  When these children are removed from their homes, they leave with little more than the clothes on their backs. If they do have any personal belongings, they are given a trash bag in which to carry them.  I know that we can do better!

Kids entering the foster care system in your state need your help now!   Let’s work together to raise funds to provide backpacks filled with necessities like shampoo and soap and comfort items like pajamas, books and stuffed animals.  The gift of these simple items - all new and all theirs - tells the child, you matter.  

To sign up to run a drive for your community email me at  RACH4aCase@gmail.com 

Or simply donate right here!  

Check out www.comfortcases.org.  

#nomoretrashbags

Rachel