Hope Totes give comfort to children taken out of possible abusive situations

OGDEN — Children taken into custody by the state Division of Child and Family Services no longer have to stuff their belongings into a trash bag.

Thanks to the time and generosity of several people, children will now have their own duffle bag to carry their personal items.

“Sometimes, when kids are taken into custody, they have to quickly grab whatever they have and stuff it into a garbage sack,” said Mike Pomeroy, child welfare administrator for DCFS in Ogden.

“To have to leave your home is hard enough, and having to stuff everything that is important to you inside of a trash bag just adds to the emotional fire.”\

Pomeroy’s office came up with The No More Trash Bag Initiative, and the community started donating in droves.

“Big D (Construction) donated 500 red-and-blue duffle bags, Lock It Up Storage donated storage units, and that’s just the beginning,” Pomeroy said.

Deseret Industries, Lock It Up Storage and area residents also donated to the cause, and a group of Latino students from the Ogden City School District made quilts and collected items to put inside what are being called Hope Totes.

“You can’t believe this group of kids,” said Leticia Medina, executive director for Colors of Success, a mentoring program for Latino students within the district.

“We had high school, middle school and elementary schoolkids working on this project. Even the boys were tying the quilts.”

Medina said the group was touched after listening to some of the ordeals faced by children placed in custody.

She said the students wanted to make sure the children know there is still hope for them and that people in the community care about them.

“These totes are filled with personal hygiene items, as well as a quilt, toy, mittens, hats and stuffed animal,” Medina said.

“As the group got together and brainstormed, they began talking about some of the things they would want if they were put into a similar situation, and this is the list they came up with.”

Medina said the group of 35 students wants to make more Hope Totes.

“It had quite an impact on them. These kids don’t get asked very often to contribute, but as you can see, they are making a significant difference,” she said. “Everyone can contribute to the community, and these kids are thrilled to be able to do so.”

Pomeroy said he hasn’t talked with any of the children who have received the bags, but he has heard they have been very pleased.

“We are really excited the community got behind us on this, and we want to recognize them and thank them,” he said. “There are a lot of people out there who care about the children in their community, and we are appreciative of the difference they are making.”

For more information, call Jeannie Godfrey at (801) 395-5931.

Donations can also be dropped off at Academy Square, Division of Child and Family Services, 950 25th St., Ogden.

Abuse cases in Utah:

In 2008, the latest figures were available, there were 12,576 victims of abuse in Utah.

42 percent were age 5 and younger.
27 percent were ages 6-10.
14 percent were ages 11-13.
17 percent were ages 14-17.

Of those victims:

31 percent were domestic violence-related child abuse.
25 percent were sexual abuse.
19 percent were physical abuse.
The rest were related to neglect, emotional abuse, maltreatment and other causes.