Trash Bags are for Trash
By: Mackenzie Snyder
"I
walked through the den on my way to get ready for bed and looked once
again at the amazing amount of duffel bags. Each bag had a stuffed
animal, a luggage tag and a note from me inside of it. The piles of bags
went from floor to ceiling, more than five thousand bags, enough for
each and every faster kid in three states. My dream was coming true –
big time!
After
I went to bed, right before I went to sleep, I closed my eyes and
thought back to when it all started… when I got the idea for my dream….
I
had been in second grade when I went with my two brothers and parents
to Paris, France. My brothers, Brock and Cory, and I had entered an
essay contest about what we were going to do to make the world a better
place to live. We won and were chosen as three of ten kids who would
represent the united states at the children's world summit. Nine hundred
kids from around the world were chosen to meet with each other and talk
about world issues. We exchanged ideas on solving the problems in our
world today and had lots of fun during the days we were together.
While
I was their, I meet to foster kids. They were two boys, and after
getting to know them, I learned a lot about what foster kids go through.
They told me that when kids go into the foster care system, they don’t
just loose their parents and their home, sometimes they are also
separated from their brothers and sisters. Not every foster home wants
to care for an entire family of kids. Foster care kids also loose most
of their toys and clothes. Thy told me that when the kids are picked up
from their home by a social worker, they are given only trash bag to put
their few belongings into. This trash bag is what foster care kids
carry with them when they are moved from home to home.
I
felt really sad, when I heard this I couldn't even imagine what life
would be like without my family and home- much less what it would be
like to live out of a trash bag. Trash bags are for trash not for kids
to carry their belongings in.
After
I came home from France, I saw an after school movie that was about a
girl living in foster care. It was like what the boys had described to
me at the children's world summit, and it made me cry. Right then I
decided I wanted to help foster care kids. These kids needed my help,
because they were not being respected like they should be.
My
whole family is into volunteering. Brock and Cory had started a project
after they saw a show on television about some kids who died in a fire.
The kids had died because the fire department didn’t have this special
camera that can see through smoke to find people in a burning house. My
brothers began Project Rescue Vision in 1996 to raise needed money for
our towns fire department. Of course, I helped too. I was only four
years old, and I was the "President of the Art Department". My job was
to hand colour all of the information envelopes that were given out. I
helped them until I was seven. Then I began my own project for the
foster-care kids.
I
started by asking my mom to stop at garage sales when I saw suit cases
or duffel bags for sale. I would tell the person who was having the
garage sale what I wanted to do with the bags, and most of the time they
gave me the bags for free. I tried to put myself into the mind of a
foster kid, and I decided that the kids should have a stuffed animal in
the bag, too. I figured that if I was in that situation I would want a
cuddly friend to hug when I was sad and felt lonely for my parents.
People often gave these to me for free, too.
In
October 1998, I helped organize a luggage drive during our local "Make a
Difference Day". Some congress people and senators showed up to give
their support, and I came up with this idea for everyone to get their
hand painted and then put their hand print on this big banner to show
that they had made a difference that day. I got all these kids to help
paint people’s hands. It was really fun to watch these important people
have their hands painted.
The
senators and congress people went back to Washington and told other
people about my project, and then a company named Freddy Mac set up a
grant for me and donated $15, 000. I am the youngest person they have
ever donated money to. Because of this grant, I had a story about my
project and me on the cover of Washington Post. Then the most amazing
thing happened. President and Mrs. Clinton read about me and wanted to
meet me. I was really excited! They were so nice, and I gave the
president one of my bags with a Bennie baby in it to give to any foster
kid that he might meet. A few days later, he sent some bags to me from
his own collection to give to foster kids, so I did.
My
project really started growing because of all of the media attention.
Radio stations called me for interviews about what I was doing and some
TV shows had me on, More people then heard about me from the TV and
radio interviews and from word-of-mouth, and they called me to offer
help.
Every
week I called my friends and family to see of they wanted to come and
put together bags. I always had help from many people. My class even
helped too. My teacher announced to the class what I was doing and
everybody started bringing stuffed animals and duffel bags to school.
One of my friends brought in ten big bags full of stuffed animals!
In
each bag, I put a luggage tag designed by me. On the front of each
luggage tag is a picture of a girl and a suit case with wheels on it. In
each bag, I put a cuddly stuffed animal and a special note I wrote,
letting them know that I love and care about them. My mom helped me type
this note:
Dear Friend,
Hi,
My name is Mackenzie Snyder. I am nine years old, and I am in third
grade. I collect suit cases and duffel bags as an act of kindness for
those who are in need of them. God told me that you can use a duffel bag
and a cuddly friend so I sent this with love to you. I want you to
always know that you are loved, especially by me. And, always remember
to be positive, polite and never give up.
Love, your friend, Mackenzie Snyder.
After
the bags are stuffed, I call social workers to tell them they can come
and pick up the bags to hand out to the foster care kids. I have a lot
of support from several big companies, schools, churches, organizations
and individuals who have donated money, or sent me bags and stuffed
animals. I have even been on the Rosie O’Donelle show! Several thousand
bags have been sent out so far, and right now I have five thousand more
ready to go, sitting in my den. These bags will go to kids in Maryland,
Washington, DC, and Virginia.
I
have had a lot of help form a lot of people. But most importantly from
my parents and my brothers. My brother Brock came up with the name for
my project. He said I should call it "Children to Children" since it was
all about kids knowing what other kids want and helping them get it. My
brothers have also given me good advice about always sending thank you
notes to the people who help me. They told me I had to work hard, call
tonnes of people and never give up… and I haven’t.
I
know that this is just the beginning. There are 530 000 foster-care
kids in the United States. My dream is for all the foster kids in the
entire United States to receive a duffel bag and a cuddly friend. I know
it can be done if everyone helps out. It is a lot of work, but I never
get tired of it. I remember the girl in the movie that I saw. If she had
been given one of my duffel bags she would have known that someone out
there cared about what happened to her. I don’t want any kid, anywhere,
to go through what she or the two boys did. Kid to kid, children to
children – that’s what it is all about."
Mackenzie Snyder, 9
If you would like more information about children to children, go to Mackenzie’s website at www.childrentochildren.org.
Pg 10 Chicken Soup for the Pre-Teen Soul Scholastic Inc.
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