A simple effort around a dining table, started in 2013 to protect the dignity of children entering foster care, has grown into an international charity that has provided essential items to hundreds of thousands of young people.
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that → start → people
Rob Scheer began packing backpacks at home after seeing his newly adopted foster children arrive carrying their belongings in black plastic rubbish bags.
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children → begin → bags
Scheer remembered his own childhood in the foster care system and decided to end the practice by starting Comfort Cases.
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Scheer → remember → Cases
According to official impact figures from Comfort Cases, the nonprofit has distributed more than 300,000 Comfort Cases and Comfort XL duffel bags to children in foster care across all 50 US states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the United Kingdom.
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nonprofit → accord → states
Comfort Cases says its first Packing Party took place in December 2013.
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Party → say → December
Childhood memories trigger community action
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memories → trigger → action
Scheer grew up in the American foster care system during the 1970s.
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Scheer → grow → 1970s
When he aged out at 18, he was given a black trash bag containing his few belongings and had to begin adult life on his own.
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he → age → own
Comfort Cases says he had also carried a trash bag when he first entered foster care.
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he → say → care
Years later, after marrying his husband Reece and choosing to build a family through foster adoption, Scheer saw the same thing happen again.
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thing → marry → adoption
Their adopted children arrived at their home carrying their clothes and belongings in plastic trash bags.
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children → adopt → bags
Comfort Cases says Rob and Reece were shocked that the practice was still common decades after Rob had experienced it himself.
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Rob → say → it
The experience pushed Scheer to act.
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experience → push → Scheer
He brought his family together at their dining room table in Maryland and began packing backpacks with basic care items for children in foster care.
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He → bring → care
The first community Packing Party was held in December 2013, and Comfort Cases was soon established as an official 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
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Cases → hold → nonprofit
In background information published by Comfort Cases, Scheer explains that children should not have to carry their belongings in something meant for trash.
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children → publish → trash
The charity's goal is to replace those bags with new backpacks and duffel bags that children can keep as their own.
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children → replace → own
What goes inside a comfort case
Social workers may need to move children between homes with little warning, sometimes during the night.
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workers → go → night
Comfort Cases was created to give children their own bags and basic items when they enter foster care.
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they → create → care
The charity provides bags for children of different ages, from babies through young adults.
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charity → provide → adults
Its cases are filled with new items meant to provide comfort and basic personal care.
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cases → fill → comfort
According to information published by Comfort Cases, a typical case includes:- A brand-new backpack or small duffel bag
- New pajamas, from infant sizes through adult sizes
- A new fleece blanket
- Personal care items, including a toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, soap and other toiletries
- A new book or activity book suited to the child's age
- A stuffed animal for younger children
- A journal for older children
Comfort Cases says its items are new.
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items → accord → children
Its current materials describe the bags as containing brand-new essentials, including pajamas, toiletries, toothbrushes and toothpaste, books or activities, journals, stuffed animals and blankets.
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materials → describe → pajamas
The goal is to help children feel that their belongings matter and that they have something that belongs to them.
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that → help → them
The charity's materials emphasize that the items are not used or passed down from another child.
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items → emphasize → child
Nationwide reach and volunteer networks
What started as a family effort quickly grew as volunteers and community groups joined the work.
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volunteers → start → work
Today, Comfort Cases operates from its headquarters in Gaithersburg, Maryland, and works with child welfare agencies and other organizations to get the bags to children in foster care.
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Cases → operate → care
The charity's impact figures show that it has reached all 50 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the United Kingdom.
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it → show → states
According to Comfort Cases, community events known as "Packing Parties" bring volunteers together to fill backpacks with essential items.
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events → accord → items
Businesses, schools, religious groups and other community organizations can take part in these events.
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Businesses → take → events
The charity has also expanded beyond the United States.
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charity → expand → States
Comfort Cases says its United Kingdom operation, Comfort Cases UK, launched in 2022.
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operation → say → 2022
Pushing for legislative change
Beyond giving children bags and personal items, Scheer has also worked to change policies around foster care.
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Scheer → push → care
Comfort Cases says Scheer has used his public platform to push for an end to the use of trash bags for children entering foster care.
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Scheer → say → care
The organization says its work has also helped support laws banning trash bags in foster care placements.
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work → say → placements
According to Comfort Cases, Maryland and Texas passed laws banning the use of trash bags in foster care placements in 2023.
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Maryland → accord → 2023
The organization says other states, including New York and Oregon, have also been considering similar changes.
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states → say → changes
As of 2026, Comfort Cases continues to expand its partnerships with child welfare organizations.
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Cases → continue → organizations
Its stated goal remains to make sure children entering foster care receive a proper bag filled with new essentials instead of having to carry their belongings in a plastic trash bag.
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children → remain → bag
The Aporia
