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A Bag of Hope is a duffel bag packed for one child entering foster or kinship care. Least of These Carolinas builds each bag around that child's first name and their own list of needs. McNeill Chevrolet is proud to stand with the Bags of Hope program here in North Carolina.
Foster parents can request a bag in a few minutes. You can also back the child welfare social workers who carry these cases every day.
A Bag of Hope starts the moment a child comes into care. Least of These Carolinas is given the child's first name and a list of items they need or want. Volunteers then pack a duffel bag made for that one child. The goal is to have each bag ready within a week of the request.
Every bag carries a few things that never change:
These bags are just a start in restoring hope and giving back a piece of what the child has lost. Children in foster care and their caregivers have come to rely on Least of These Carolinas for that small piece of hope.
There are two paths, and both are free for the family. Pick the one that matches your role.
Fill out the Least of These Carolinas request form and select Bags of Hope as the request type. Share the child's first name and what they need. Most bags are ready within a week.
You can refer foster and kinship families two ways. Text the words social worker to (704) 286-0369. You can also submit the referral form online.
The program has grown every year since 2013. These figures come from Least of These Carolinas.
Least of These Carolinas relies completely on private donors and grants to fund the Bag of Hope program. No public dollars pay for these bags.
Our team lives and works in Wilkes County. We see the families here, and we know a child moving into a new home should not carry their life in a garbage bag. That is why the McNeill Chevrolet team puts its name behind this program.
Supporting local children is not new for us. You can also read about our work with the Wilkes Community Partnership for Children. Different programs, same goal.
Private donors and grants cover every bag. That means a gift of any size turns directly into items a child asked for.
A Bag of Hope is a duffel bag packed for one child in foster or kinship care. Least of These Carolinas receives the child's first name and a list of items they need or want. Every bag includes a note from a volunteer and an age appropriate Bible.
Foster parents use the Least of These Carolinas request form and select Bags of Hope as the request type. The team works to have each bag ready within a week of the request. There is no cost to the family.
Social workers have two options. Text the words social worker to (704) 286-0369 to start a referral. You can also fill out the online social worker referral form for Least of These Carolinas.
Each bag is built around the list of items that one child needs or wants. Volunteers pack the bag with those items, a handwritten note, and an age appropriate Bible. No two bags look the same.
Private donors and grants fund the program in full. Families and children never pay for a bag. Every gift helps Least of These Carolinas pack more bags for children entering care.
Least of These Carolinas provided Bags of Hope for 3,818 children from 2013 through 2023. The program served 901 children in 2023 alone. Those bags represent a value of more than $1,000,000.
Find us at 1931 US Hwy 421 in Wilkesboro, NC 28697. Call our team at (336) 844-4661 with any question about the program.
Sales hours: Monday to Friday 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM, Saturday 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, closed Sunday. While you are here, you can also browse our new Chevrolet inventory.