A painting project is helping provide suitcases to children in the Alabama foster care system. Unclaimed Baggage in Scottsboro is the nation’s only retailor of lost luggage. The Alabama company purchases baggage from airlines that are unclaimed. This weekend's “Love Luggage” event invites people to paint works of art on suitcases donated to children in foster care. Sonni Hood is the Public Relation and Community Director at Unclaimed Baggage. She explains what inspired the event.
“Children in foster are often have to carry their belongings in trash bags when they’re transitioning to new homes,” said Hood. “When we heard that, we of course knew that should not be the case. Nobody should have to put their items into a garbage bag.”
The “Love Luggage” event is happening this Saturday from ten a-m to four p-m. About fifty suitcases are expected to be painted. Hood says the goal is to cheer children up on some of the most challenging days of their lives.
“We take hard-sided suitcases that we receive at Unclaimed Baggage. Guest and community members are invited to paint on theses suitcases,” she said. “They can paint, you know, bright happy messages, and pictures and quotes, and things of that sort.”
The bags are often painted with what are called “works of heart” with positive messages in bright colors. The idea is to cheer children up on what could be a challenging day as they into the foster system.
