Totes for Teens

update 12/09 This year was another huge success.  Thank you to all who helped with this program.

Totes for Teens was started six years ago by Cheri Johnson as a way of providing something nice for our teenagers in Foster Care.  Totes for Teens services all teenagers in Lake County from ages 13 to 18.  This year there will be 51 girls and 60 boys for a total of 111 totes.  Teenagers are often forgotten kids during the holidays, as the younger children are the primary focus.  The program is currently supported by the Women’s Golf Groups from Hidden Valley Lake, Rob Roy Golf Course at Cobb, Buckingham Golf Course in Kelseyville and the Men’s 18 and 9-hole groups at Hidden Valley Lake.

Totes for Teens will spend the majority of the month of November collecting items to fill the totes (duffel bags) for the teenagers of our county who are in a foster care situation.  On the Monday after Thanksgiving, there is a “stuffing” party at which all the bags will be filled with items donated by our community.  There is a list of items that changes daily, so it is best to contact the organization to see what is still needed.  Why a duffel bag?  Children in a foster situation often have to move from home to home and it is hoped that having “their own” bag to fill with “their own” belongings would be of some comfort to the children as they are experiencing uncomfortable times.  It is interesting to ponder the wish-list of items, and to realize that these children do not have a permanent parent to provide some of the basic items that we take for granted.  To a child in a foster situation, having their very own toiletries or blanket could mean more to them than you or I can imagine.  Many of these teens do not know what it is like to receive a “new” T-shirt or “new” socks.

Last year, Totes for Teens was able to supply wrapped gifts to the children to be given to their Moms and Dads.  The gifts were wrapped and had a name card and a sticky-note stating what the gift was so the child could put their name on the card and knew what they were gifting.  Also included in the totes are 3-4 Christmas cards with postage, so the children can send them to Grandparents, Parents or Friends.

I appreciated being able to serve as a collection site last year for this organization.  This year we will be taking collections at Spruce Grove Storage 11360 Spruce Grove Road 994-9900, Lower Lake, and at TnT Storage 3962 Big Valley Road, Kelseyville 279-9090.  It was personally rewarding to go shopping for the totes.  I think we found some T-shirts that were inexpensive but quite cute for teens, some travel-sized deodorant and toothpaste for boys and girls and a few gifts for parents that did not cost more than a few dollars apiece.

Each year the program becomes more sophisticated and the quality and quantity of items increases. New items added to the list this year are a basketball for each boy, a beach towel for each girl and standard-sized pillow cases.  Totes for Teens is hoping someone will be able to donate a new standard pillow for each recipient, but for now having their own pillow case would be wonderful.  Following, you will see a Boy’s List and a Girl’s List, but the lists are updated daily.  To find out current needs please call:

Cheri at Hidden Valley Lake 987-3685

Rob Roy Golf Course 928-5276.

article written by Lynnette Bertelli