AKA sorority donates care bags for local foster children

Hundreds of sorority members from across New England came together this Halloween to give children in foster care something special. Members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated North Atlantic Region gathered in Springfield. For their regional conference, after packing care bags full of toiletries and warm clothes, they brought them to MGM Springfield for local charities to distribute. Each bag is valued at more than $50 and is meant to bring comfort to children entering or transitioning through foster care. The effort is part of the sorority's national initiative, AKA Foster the Future, From Here to Hope, which their international president launched in July. This is something that touches my heart because for 10 years I served as a foster care worker and we have several of our own members that have been in the foster care system. They have shared how much this means to them. Their last few meetings brought in nearly 2800 bags across the North Atlantic. More than 150 bags went to five local organizations today.