WHAT: Youth in El Paso County enter foster care every day with little more than the clothes on their backs. To help ease that transition, volunteers are gathering to pack “Comfort Cases” – new backpacks filled with comfort and personal care items for youth in foster care. These backpacks will be distributed to El Paso County caseworkers and child placement agencies.

Colorado Community Health Alliance (CCHA), the regional organization that coordinates health care and non-health care services for Health First Colorado (Colorado’s Medicaid program) members, is sponsoring the event in collaboration with Comfort Cases and YMCA of the Pikes Peak Region.

WHEN: Wednesday, February 21, 2024

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM (Brief remarks will begin at 11am followed by volunteers packing.)

WHERE: Southeast & Armed Services YMCA, 2190 Jet Wing Dr., Colorado Springs, CO 80916
 

WHO: The following spokespeople will provide brief remarks and are available for interviews. 

Rob Scheer: Founder, Comfort Cases, a national organization

Amy Yutzy: Executive Director, CCHA

Daren Girling, VP Operations, PPYMCA

The following elected officials will be in attendance. Carrie Geitner, Commissioner, El Paso County; Michelle Talarico, Colorado Springs City Councilmember; Bret Waters, El Paso County Administrator; and Holly Williams, Commissioner, El Paso County

WHY: There are approximately 437,000 youth in foster care in the United States. An estimated 700 children enter the system each day. Comfort Cases founder Rob Scheer has dedicated himself to providing essential supplies and dignity to these children. Scheer's own experiences in foster care, where he arrived carrying his possessions in a trash bag, motivated him to establish Comfort Cases. Since its inception, Comfort Cases has distributed more than 200,000 backpacks filled with essentials to children across the United States and beyond.