Charlotte Optimist president Chris Fletcher presented Guardian Angels Suitcases 4 Kids Director Jennifer Deleeuw with a $300 check on Friday, January 22, 2021.
Guardian Angels Suitcases 4 Kids (GAS4K) is a Michigan charity that helps ease the transition of children in the foster care system in Eaton County and surrounding areas since 2014.
Many of these children are taken from an abusive or neglectful home and have already suffered a great deal. They have no one they trust and typically nothing but a garbage bag holding a few belongings. This is where GAS4K comes into play.
Guardian Angels helps to provide a care bag to each child when they come into foster care, which  contains age appropriate items that they can keep forever.  Having something they can call their own is our way of making their transition a little bit easier and letting them know that someone really does care.
Guardian Angels also has an inventory of no charge items that are available to foster children in need. We work with the Department of Health and Human Services and private foster agencies to help meet the needs of every child we can, whether it be a calculator for school or a wardrobe to get them started in their new home. We are located at 600 S. Cochran Ave. Charlotte, MI 48813 with walk in hours on Tuesdays between 5 and 8 p.m. and most Wednesdays and Fridays between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Help is needed throughout the year. Guardian Angels Suitcases 4 Kids accepts many forms of donations.  They accept new and gently used clothing, toys and bedding. They also accept donations of new undergarments of all sizes and hygiene products. Monetary donations are also helpful for them to use to purchase needed items that they may not currently have in stock  at the time of need. GAS4K is a 501(c)3 non-profit and donations are tax deductible. For more information, call (517) 231-0735.
Submitted by the Charlotte Optimist Club