Professional conferences are a wonderful opportunity to connect with colleagues from near and far, to learn and explore new ideas through professional development, and to contribute to the advancement of the industry through presentations highlighting current research and best practices. At the most recent IECA (Independent Educational Consultants Association) conference in Washington DC, True North was delighted to join with other industry professionals to support an amazing local charity.
Comfort Cases is a non-profit organization founded on a mission to provide comfort and support to children entering the foster care system. They are committed to their belief that every child has the right to a more humane experience in foster care, and that starts by providing them with a case filled with basic necessities that belongs to them instead of a few items hastily thrown in a trash bag. For many children leaving their homes and entering foster care, a few items in a trash bag is all they have as they journey from home to home in the foster system-a circumstance that can reinforce negative beliefs about themselves, and leave them feeling unwanted and disposable. When Comfort Cases provides a case to a child in need, they not only offer them new items that they can keep during their journey, they also provide them with dignity and evidence that someone cares about what they are going through.
Together with our friends at New Summit Academy, Chrysalis School, Pacific Quest, All Kinds of Therapy, School Counseling Group, and Breakthrough Interventions, we raised over $3,000.00 which allowed us to gather the items needed to make 50 cases for children and adolescents of all ages in the DC area. We joined with professionals from all over the country to assemble the cases and deliver them to Comfort Cases for distribution to children entering Foster Care.
What an incredible way to spend some of our time together at the IECA Conference! We are so grateful to all who contributed and participated in this special event.
