San Francisco Foster Youth and how the QuiltWorks Closet is involved……

When they are born into the S F Foster Care System:

Each month in San Francisco between 8 - 10 babies are born and the minute they are born, they are part of the San Francisco Foster Care System.  These babies need a little something special to welcome them to the world.  We have also discovered between 5 - 10 babies are born in the Trauma unit at SF General Hospital each month to homeless or low-income mothers with little or no means to keep the babies warm.  Many leave the hospital with just one flannel blanket for the baby.  These babies are not in the Foster Care system because they are still with their mothers but they need our help too.

Learning this, the volunteers of QuiltWorks created a "Welcome to the World" package of: two reversible receiving blankets, two burp clothes; a fleece sleeping sack for 0 - 9 months and an embroidered bib and a little gift for the new mother or caretaker who will take care of each baby.  Our goal is to keep these babies warm and make their entry to our world a more pleasant one.

While they are in the S F Foster Care system:

Currently there are approximately 1,000 youth from 1 day to 21 years old in the San Francisco Foster Care System.  It is always changing but during their stay in the San Francisco Foster Care System, our goal is to provide a birthday bag filled with a quilt or blanket, school clothes, warm pajamas or an age appropriate stuffed animal and book to each child on their birthday each year.   Birthdays are a special day and we want these children to know they are special on their birthday like every other child.

And when they exit the S F Foster Care system:

When the youth have aged out, some do go on to college; some find a room and some very lucky ones even an apartment.  Many are out in surrounding counties due to the overwhelming cost of housing in San Francisco.  They are still our SF Foster Youth just housed wherever they can find a place for them.  And almost all of them need help finding even the most basic items.  Usually family steps in when a youth goes out on their own.  Most of these teens do not have anyone, so we are filling that role.

We provide each exiting you with a new bedding set including comforter, sheets and a new pillow; a hygiene package with two towels, two washcloths and a variety of toiletries; a cleaning package with broom and dustpan, dish and laundry soap, laundry bag, cleansers, sponges and toilet paper.  In addition we offer each exiting youth a choice of five household appliances from our QuiltWorks Closet to support their road to a successful transition on their own.   We are told, it makes a huge difference.

We are working with the Social Workers from the City and County of San Francisco Human Services Agency, Family and Children's Services.   Each week the social workers fill out the authorized forms on Wednesday and the QuiltWorks volunteers fill their requests on Thursdays for pick up and delivery.

Everything in our QuiltWorks Closet is new.  These babies and youth deserve the very best and that is what we are providing to them.  We hope you will join us by making a donation for us to buy more items, or by buying a quilt from FABSF (Link below), or by making up items from the kits we provide or by volunteering at the QuiltWorks Closet.  

They need our help and we need yours.