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Happy Friday! So, this is a topic that comes up almost every.single.time I speak to people about The Queen of Bags and being a non-profit organization. How do I keep up the motivation to keep it going? That's a great question and the answer is simple....God called ME to do this and if God isn't a big enough reason, then I don't know what is!
In my opinion, giving back is a way of life, not an obligation. There are so many causes out there that need our attention that every single person could find something that speaks to them to give back to. Simply volunteering for one group a few hours a month makes a tremendous impact on our world. Imagine if each person did that, how much better our world would be?!?! For me, it's advocating for adoption and fostering as well as the Ronald McDonald House Charities, Sea Turtle conservation and restoration, and overall sustainability! What is it that speaks to you and your heart???
One of the best things about having my own non-profit organization is that I get the run it the way I see fit. One of those ways is having as many people involved as I can! The more people who are involved the wider spread my organization will be and will have the ability to grow. Seeing sister queens, service organizations, churches, friends and family donate their time to my dream is overwhelming in an amazing way. This organization was a dream of mine in 2016. Now, six years later, it is a 501(c)3 with thousands of children across the United States impacted by it. Every time I have doubts about it, I remember what I have done and how far I have come and I quickly pull myself back into check because to put it simply, there's still work to be done!
Did you know that on any given day there are more than 400,000 children in the foster care system? That could fill up Sanford Stadium more than FOUR TIMES! This is absolutely unacceptable, but worse than this, many of these children have little to nothing of their very own. When they enter the foster care system, if the agency does not have items to give the or to put the items they come in with then they are given a trash bag...let me say that again, they are given a TRASH BAG! This is another reason why I am constantly motivated to help these children have a better life.
I am blessed to be a mother through adoption and birth. My oldest son could have easily been one of the thousands of children in foster care, which makes me sick to my stomach. I thank God every day that he brought this beautiful creature into my life and that He saved him from this situation. He is so very lucky and blessed, however, for every single one of the lucky ones, there are hundreds more that are not so lucky. I feel God placed me in this moment to make a change and I have no intentions on stopping until every child has a family to love and call their own.
So the next time you are in the store and you see some $3 blankets or you see bookbags or stuffed animals on clearance, please consider grabbing a few and donating them to your local foster care agency in honor of the Queen of Bags Initiative because EVERY child deserves to feel special, loved, and wanted!
If you would like to build bags of your own to donate to foster care, please consider putting all of the below in the bag like we do with the Queen of Bags. We also ask that you only put in new items.
*A Bookbag
*A stuffed animal
*Blanket
*Hygiene kit (toothbrush, toothpaste, floss and a little travel bag to put it in)
*Coloring Book
*Crayons
*Socks
*A small toy (jump rope, chalk, yoyo, Barbie, race car, etc)
*Miscellaneous items like a reusable water bottle, book, bubbles, school supplies
Thank you for your consideration in helping the Queen of Bags! If you would like to find other opportunities in your area to give back, please reach out and I will be happy to help you connect with organizations in your community!
Have a wonderful weekend!
Allison
Mrs. Georgia Petite