West Lafayette Homecoming Junior Queen helps foster children
Junior Queen Kyra Weaver, pictured at right, used her West Lafayette Homecoming Court community service project to help foster children in Coshocton. She is pictured with Danny Brenneman, director of JFS and Kathy Art, children services administrator. Josie Sellers | Beacon
COSHOCTON – Kyra Weaver has a passion for helping children so she used her West Lafayette Homecoming Court community service project to help foster children in our community.
On June 22, Weaver, who is the junior queen, donated 54 individually decorated duffel bags to Coshocton County Job and Family Services. Each bag included a stuffed animal, coloring book, box of crayons, a hygiene kit, and blanket.
“On behalf of our agency thank you for thinking of our foster program,” said Danny Brenneman, director of JFS.
He shared with Weaver and her family that the county currently has 47 children, ages 0-18 in its foster care program.
“A few years ago we only had a third of that,” Brenneman said. “This is a very heartfelt and appreciated activity that you did.”
Kyra’s father Charles Weaver said they found the idea for the duffel bags online.
“They are called sweet cases,” he said. “You send the organization money and they send you all the parts for them. You get everything that’s included in them and then each of them gets to be colored.”
Kyra has a friend who was a foster child and knows that these bags will be appreciated.
“My friend is homeschooled now, but when she was at our school she left one day and then came back and had the same clothes on she did the day she left,” Kyra said. “She also never had her homework done because she didn’t have pencils or erasers so I would give her some.”
Kathy Art, children services administrator, agreed with Kyra.
“I’ve had experience working with the foster kids and this is going to make them feel amazing,” Art said.
Kyra raised $1,540 to purchase the bags for JFS. Warsaw Elementary School held a fundraiser to support her cause, and several businesses and organizations made donations including: McWane Ductile, Kyle Libby State Farm, the Blue Star Mothers, VFW Post 1330, individual members of the Blue Star Mothers, and members of the homecoming court also donated and helped decorate the bags.
“I was hoping to raise $500, but wasn’t sure if I would or not so it was really cool to raise even more,” Kyra said. “All the kids are going to be so excited to have these.”
For more information on sweet cases, visit the Together We Rise website at www.togetherwerise.org.
Category: People & Places
