Something so simple as a bag can make a difference, or at least one Mom sees it that way.
Cara Finger, Brentwood resident wears many hats – wife, mother, adoptive parent, adoptee, and at one point a foster mom. As a foster parent, she came to notice that many foster children arrived at her home carrying only a grocery sack or trash bag to hold their belongings. She knew a bag could make a change in the life of a child. Knowing Finger for over twenty years, I can hear her say “We have to do something about this.” Â And so she set out to make sure every child didn’t have to worry about how to carry their worldly possessions. My Bag My Story was created.
Finger says, “My Bag My Story was started when we were a foster family and kids kept coming into care carrying a grocery sack or trash bag. I just couldn’t not try and do something to change that.”
And change she did. Finger’s nonprofit “My Bag My Story” supplies foster children with a duffel bag or backpack for their belongings.
Working with Belmont University’s Enactus program, Finger began the task of creating a project with a purpose. When you purchase a backpack or duffel bag, a bag is given to a foster child.
“I feel it is so important because when you carry a trash bag, it steals your pride, dignity, and self-worth. We can’t make all the difference but we can make a difference,” says Finger.
One foster child, Jonathan, who was in the foster care system for several years, shared, “It’s not just a bag, it’s dignity. If your stuff is in a trash bag, how does it keep from getting mixed up with the actual trash.”
Some of the statistics about foster children My Bag My Story shares is that 8,500 children are in the foster care system in the State of Tennessee with over 400,000 in foster care nationwide. Finger hopes to help one child -one bag at a time to ease the transition out of their home.
In addition to creating the nonprofit, Finger has created relationships with DCS Davidson County, DCS Hickman County, Monroe Harding, Youth Villages Church of the City Clothing Closet, and more to ensure more children receive a bag.
On Friday, March 6 at 6 p, you can meet Finger and learn more about My Bag My Story at Franklin Road Apparel during Franklin’s Art Scene. Bags will be available for purchase with prices ranging from $39 – $49. The quilted backpacks come in an array of colors with different linings. There are also multiple color options for the duffle bags.
Franklin Road Apparel is located at 508 West Main Street, Franklin and will also offer a featured artist and live music during the event. To learn more about My Bag My Story visit their website.
