SENATORS CLINTON, DOLE, DEWINE AND MURRAY HOST VOLUNTEERS ASSEMBLING "CARE PACKAGES" FOR 2,500 FORMER FOSTER YOUTH

National Care Package Day Supports Former Foster Youth Attending College

Washington, DC – On October 19, members of Congress, their staff and volunteers from national organizations prepared “care packages” for 2,500 college students who had aged out of foster care as part of National Care Package Day on Capitol Hill. The Orphan Foundation of America's (OFA) event – hosted by Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton, Michael DeWine, Elizabeth Dole and Patty Murray – was designed to draw attention to the needs of thousands of young people who leave foster care without any emotional or financial support. Representatives Tom Davis (R-VA), Kay Granger (R-TX), Nancy Johnson (R-CT), Brad Miller (D-NC) and Deborah Pryce (R-OH) spearheaded support from the House side. Contributing $100,000, the Freddie Mac Foundation was the founding partner of the event, with Gifts In Kind International donating toiletries and school supplies among other items, as well as Otis Spunkmeyer providing cookies for the packages. FedEx Express provided free shipping services to deliver the packages to the students.

“The Foundation is thrilled to be a part of this wonderful effort,” said Maxine B. Baker, President and CEO of the Freddie Mac Foundation. “When you think of all the barriers foster children have to overcome to make it to college, you realize how important it is to support their success and let them know how proud we are of their hard work.”

Care packages from home are a practical and emotional lifeline for most college students. Thousands of former foster youth can only imagine the joy of opening boxes filled with love and support from their families. OFA’s Care Package program is designed to help those students experience the same excitement that their roommates and friends feel when they receive and open a care package, according to Executive Director Eileen McCaffrey. “Receiving a care package is more than just getting stuff; it’s evidence that someone cares,” she explained. “In this rich country, we can afford to reach out to every young person who has no family and invest in his or her dreams.”

National volunteer groups including Rotary, Junior League, Jack and Jill of America, and
AKA Sorority were on hand to help assemble the packages “with care.” The groups will continue to serve as sources for mentoring in communities across the country while promoting the needs of foster youth who age out of the foster care system with their audiences.

“Gifts in Kind International has a long history of supporting programs that clearly improve the lives of people who are in need from all around the world,” said Richard Wong, President and CEO of Gifts In Kind International (GIKI). “We are honored to help the Orphan Foundation of America compile and distribute 2,500 support packages for those college students in need.”

Thousands of foster children age out of the system each year, with no family or home to call their own. Studies show that less than fifty percent of foster youth graduate from high school and less than ten percent go on to post-secondary education or vocational training. Former foster youth who receive scholarship funds, mentoring and support – including care packages – from the Orphan Foundation of America have a thirty percent higher rate of graduation than their peers without such support.

The Orphan Foundation of America advocates for older foster youth who were never adopted and provides a comprehensive scholarship program. OFA annually administers over $11.5 million in scholarship and state voucher money to students in all 50 states. The care package program is just one of many initiatives OFA has created to ensure that young people aging out of the foster care system are encouraged to succeed as adults. For more information on the many ways OFA is helping America’s former foster youth, visit the website at www.orphan.org or call OFA at 571.203.0270.

Created by Freddie Mac in 1991, the Freddie Mac Foundation helps create hope and opportunity for children and their families. The Foundation funds programs in the areas of foster care and adoption, youth development and strengthening families. As one of the largest corporate philanthropists in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, Freddie Mac and Freddie Mac Foundation have invested nearly $250 million in nonprofit organizations serving children and families.

Gifts In Kind International (GIKI) is the third largest charity in the U.S. and the world’s leader in product philanthropy. Its network of 450-plus Gifts In Kind® programs provides nonprofits access to million of dollars annually in product donations from companies worldwide—nearly $820 million in 2004, an increase of almost $35 million from 2003. For more than 20 years, GIKI has been a vital connection between communities in need and companies wanting to contribute essential products for emergency relief, community rebuilding and community services.