1 Given = 1 ChildGive a Bag
Sponsor a high-quality backpack or duffel and it's placed directly in the hands of a foster child. Simple, direct impact.
#EndTheTrashBag
Every Child Deserves Dignity.
Most people don't realize children in foster care often move with nothing more than a trash bag. We're here to change that, one bag and one child at a time.
14,000+
Bags Donated
400,000+
children in U.S. foster care right now
The Reality
Learn more about the problem
Kids Deserve More Than a Trash Bag.
Today, another child was placed with a new family, arriving with nothing more than the clothes on their back. A few may have a garbage bag of mismatched items. This is the reality for thousands of children across the country.
There are almost 9,000 children in the Tennessee foster care system alone. Approximately 20,000 young people age out of the foster care system in the U.S. every year without being reunited with their families or adopted.
For a child already struggling to belong, carrying belongings in a trash bag sends a devastating message. We believe no child should feel like their life fits in the garbage.
One bag given. One child's story.
Our one-for-one model makes it effortless for anyone to bring dignity to a foster child.
You give a bag
Sponsor a high-quality backpack, duffel, or pouch — designed with care and built to last, for a child who needs it most.
We deliver a bag
For every bag sponsored, an identical bag is placed directly in the hands of a child entering or moving through the foster care system.
A child gets dignity
A foster child receives their own bag — a symbol that they matter, that they belong, that their story is worth carrying.
Real bags, real children, real change.
14,000+
Since 2019bags donated to children in foster care
30+
Across Tennesseepartner organizations in our network
9,000+
The Missionchildren in TN foster care we're working to reach
Our Founder
Meet Cara Finger, Chief Bag Giver
Surprised and saddened by the practice of foster children carrying their belongings in trash bags, Cara was moved to #EndTheTrashBag.
Cara was adopted as a child herself. When she became a foster parent and watched children arrive with their belongings in trash bags and grocery sacks, everyone kept saying this was normal.
Disappointed by the scarce secondhand luggage donations and limited resources available to foster families, Cara called on talented designers and manufacturers to create a product anyone would be proud to carry.
Together with the foster care community, Cara founded My Bag My Story in 2019. Since then, the organization has donated over 2,600 bags to children across Tennessee.
Cara
Cara Finger
Founder · Chief Bag Giver
Ways You Can Make a Difference
Whether you're giving, partnering, or spreading the word, every action brings dignity to a child in need.
1 Given = 1 Child
Give Now
Direct ImpactDignity Program
We partner with 30+ Tennessee organizations to distribute bags directly to children entering or moving through the foster care system.
PartnerCorporate Partnership
Join Dell, Target, the Predators Foundation and other organizations in supporting foster children through sponsorship and matching programs.
The kids are always so excited to get a new bag. It's theirs to keep, for all of their valuables, and one of the only consistencies they get.
Partners Making a Difference
These organizations help us put quality bags in the hands of children who need them most.
Corporate Supporters
| Dell | Nashville Predators Foundation | Target | St. George's Episcopal |
#EndTheTrashBag
Every Child Deserves to Know They Matter.
Help us replace trash bags with dignity. Give a bag, partner with us, or spread the word.