Foundation Funds Teen’s Effort to Send Duffel Bags to Displaced Katrina Victims

September 21, 2005 – As part of its $5 million commitment to helping victims of Hurricane Katrina, the Freddie Mac Foundation recently donated $50,000 to its long-time grantee Children to Children, an organization that provides foster children nation-wide with duffel bags to carry their belonging from home to home. The grant will allow the group, headed by 14-year old Makenzie Snyder, to broaden its reach to help during this time of national crisis.

Children to Children used the fund to purchase more than 6,000 duffel bags for victims of Hurricane Katrina. More than one hundred volunteers, mainly students and children, participated in an all-day effort to pack and ship off the bags. Each new duffel bag contains a stuffed animal and personal note for comfort. During the event, Children to Children will also be collecting non-perishables to be sent to affected areas.

The bags will allow thousands of people displaced by Hurricane Katrina to carry and protect the few belongings they were able to save from the disaster. The bags are destined for, among other places, two churches in Sulfur, LA for victims residing in the civic center and two shelters housing evacuees in Homer, LA.

Children to Children was created in 1998 by Makenzie Snyder, who at the young age of eight, was appalled that foster children had to use garbage bags to carry their belongings as they moved from place to place. Makenzie began to collect donated duffel bags which she then distributed to foster care agencies throughout the country. Makenzie has distributed over 38,000 duffel bags. She includes a stuffed animal in each bag along with a personal note of encouragement from her.