The Colchester-Milton Rotary collected donations of duffle bags, backpacks, and suitcases for the Department of Children and Families in Franklin and Chittenden Counties. As of July 2021 the census for children in state custody was 140 in Franklin and 159 in Chittenden County. Social workers show up at homes needing to remove children because of issues of neglect, physical abuse, parental substance use, and a variety of other reasons. As you can imagine a removal can be traumatic for children who often don’t have the time everyone would like to gather what they need and what they want; often needing to put their stuff into whatever’s handy – including garbage bags. The Colchester-Milton Rotary club decided to help and asked for donations of duffle bags, backpacks, and suitcases. The goal of 50 bags was surpassed with a total of 135 bags!
A special Thank You to Leora Black & Karen Trombley for organizing this event.