Local man hopes to provide backpacks to 1000 kids

It's tough being a kid going through the foster system. It's even tougher when you have to move your stuff with a garbage bag.

Gary Wuirch couldn't believe it when he first heard about it. Kids within the Child and Family Services system were packing their stuff up in garbage bags when moving from house to house, often because of how quicklly things were moving.

"With all the things out there to help kids, how did this fall through the cracks?" Wuirch asked.

So he set up Bags of Dignity, a charity that hopes to give children respect and dignity when they are going through a tough time.

"We're collecting backpacks and suitcases, very gently used or new, to give to kids in care," Wuirch explained. "A garbage bag isn't something they should be moving their belongings in."

To date, Wuirch believes he's collected around 250 bags and has brought them to places like Macdonald Youth Services, the Boys and Girls Club, and Metis CFS. He says social workers have been overwhelmed with emotion when they see what is happening. But Wuirch says it's not enough yet.

"We're just scratching the surface of what we'd like to get and what they need," Wuirch stated.

So along with physical donations, Wuirch's sister set up a GoFundMe page, where they are hoping to raise money to buy backpacks at a bulk price, enabling them to provide even more bags.

With a goal of $5000, Wuirch is hoping to purchase up to 1000 backpacks and suitcases. He also wants to tailor it to the individual kids, buying a Paw Patrol backpack for the little kids or a more professional suitcase for the ones who have aged out of the system.

Wuirch hopes that this will continue well beyond this GoFundMe campaign and that he will be able to continue providing backpacks to kids who need them.