Presenter: Paige Connell, Public Health Science, Global Public Health Scholars
I was a development intern at Comfort Cases, a non-profit dedicated to bringing hope and dignity to youth in foster care. The primary function of Comfort Cases is to stuff backpacks with essential and comfort items and then distribute them to children when they enter the foster care system. Secondarily, Comfort Cases distributes large duffle bags, called Comfort XLs, to youth who are being moved from one home to another. Typically, youth in this situation are given only trash bags to move their belongings. Comfort Cases is working to eliminate the use of trash bags as luggage for youth in foster care. As a development intern I wrote grants to secure funding for the organization and worked to procure gifts for the auction at their annual gala. I was also able to gain some experience in the operations department by creating an entirely paperless system for Comfort Cases volunteer agreements and outlining desk procedures for new and temporary employees.
Hello Paige! I really like your project because you took into consideration how children's development and environment affects their well being, which is a unique aspect of public health. The environment and care that children receive growing up plays a huge role on their physical and mental health as they could develop behavioral and social issues as you mentioned. This internship seems really interesting and I would definitely love to look in to it! Your presentation was informative as it gives the viewer context/background of foster care and really shows why this non- profit is essential. It's really considerate for the organization to think about how using trash bags should be minimized. Is this because duffel bags seem more humane…
Hello Paige!
You mentioned that in the challenges faced that the location of your internship was transitioning from a local charity to a national non-profit. Could you elaborate more on why that would be considered a challenge? Also, do you know if Comfort Cases is continuing their work during this pandemic and how do you think the pandemic is affecting foster children?
I learned more about the foster care system through your poster. Why do you think trash bags were ever used to move children in the foster care system? You mentioned in your Major Takeaways that non-profits should be treated like businesses. What experiences brought about this understanding? In general, how has your internship affected your understanding of public health and your future plans?