The Lighten the Load campaign, which provides luggage to foster children in St. Clair County, is now in a position to help even more.

“For the first time in existence, Lighten the Load campaign is talking to St. Clair County DHR about additional ways we can make an impact,” said Jennifer Sellers, Juvenile Dependency attorney and co-founder of Lighten the Load.

So far, over 200 pieces of luggage have been donated to foster children in the county. At any given time, there are approximately 99 children in foster care in St. Clair County and there are approximately 3,500 children in foster care throughout Alabama, according to the Alabama Children’s Policy Council.

“A suitcase is where they put every single thing they own. Not only does it make them feel important, it makes their things important,” Sellers told Pell City Rotary on Tuesday.

Rotary presented a check for $500 to help with the campaign. Recently, Crossfit Pell City held a Crossfit Team Challenge and through entry fees, sponsorships, and t-shirt sales, raised over $5700 for the campaign.

The project was conceived and designed by Juvenile Dependency (Family Court) attorneys Laurie Mize Henderson and Jennifer Sellers to provide each foster child in St. Clair County with a brand new, large, hard-sided, rolling piece of luggage that the children can call their own and protect what few possessions they have during their time in foster care.

“It’s very hard to believe how much this means to a child,” Sellers said. “It’s very nice to have something that is their own.”

There are plans to take the program statewide, reaching into other counties for them to start their own programs.

New, large, hard-sided, rolling suitcases can be donated at Laurie Mize Henderson’s office at 1906 Cogswell Avenue, Pell City or at Jennifer Seller’s office located at 1918 Cogswell Avenue, Pell City.