BeBop Gives Back
Here at BeBop, we love all things stylish, fashionable, and fun. But we are cognizant that not everyone is fortunate enough to be able to purchase the clothes we make. We do our best to give to community organizations and help them in their endeavors. We’ve worked with several really fabulous outreach programs recently, and would love to share the news of their good work.
My Stuff Bags was founded in 1998. Since then, the organization has been addressing the needs of an often forgotten group of American children – those in shelters, foster care, or institutions. These children must leave everything behind when they are rescued from abuse, neglect or abandonment, or flee with their mothers to the safety of a battered women’s home. Heart wrenchingly, they often have little more than the clothes on their backs, and little hope for change in their future, since the organizations that provide food and safe shelter lack the financial resources to go above and beyond those basic needs. My Stuff Bags is working hard to fill that emptiness. The organization provides rescued children with bright blue individual duffels filled with brand new, age- and gender-appropriate toys, books, a stuffed animal, school supplies, clothing, personal toiletries, and a warm, often hand-made “security” blanket – all theirs to keep. Packed with necessities, the bags provide things to do, and to hold, during the difficult transitional period. Most importantly, because items are donated by caring people nationwide (including us here at BeBop), and the duffels are packed by loyal volunteers, these children are reminded that lots of people care about them.
A Place Called Home is an amazing non-profit youth center located in South Central Los Angeles. The program exists to provide at-risk youth with a secure, positive family environment where they can regain hope and belief, earn trust and self-respect and learn skills to lead to a productive lifestyle free of the gangs, drugs and poverty that surround them. APCH utilizes educational enrichment as a way of realizing potential and making dreams a reality, with a focus on one-on-one attention. They provide educational programs, counseling, mentoring, music, dance and art classes, athletic programs, career training, nutrition education, service initiatives, and general recreation. They are doing incredible work with inner-city kids, and we at BeBop are proud to support them.
Kids in Distressed Situations (K.I.D.S.) is an international children’s charity that brings hope to over 4 million children yearly with new clothes, books, toy, and furniture. Since its inception in1985, K.I.D.S. has provided over $1 billion worth of brand new clothing, shoes, toys, books, baby products and more to 67 million children in need throughout the United States and overseas. They have efficiently and effectively delivered essential merchandise to communities prone to chronic poverty; families suffering from life-altering and debilitating circumstances; and communities hit by natural disasters. Thanks to generous donations from manufacturers (BeBop among them), K.I.D.S. has been able to provide children, and often their entire families, with self-esteem and hope through a gift of something BRAND NEW. Some children hardly ever own something that was not pre-owned, and the novelty of a new, exclusive item can make a huge impact on a child’s suffering from poverty, illness, homelessness, illiteracy, domestic abuse, imprisoned parents, or other unfortunate circumstances.
It’s a simple idea- one gift, to one child at a time that builds hope, self-esteem and an opportunity to succeed. Now multiply that by hundreds of thousands… even millions… and you can see the incredible impact this organization is having.
Neat Stuff!, founded in south Florida in 1995, is the only agency of its kind in the area. The organization provides free, brand new clothing, shoes, accessories and gifts to meet some of the basic needs of abused, neglected and other children in distress, allowing them to dress with pride and dignity, and therefore inspiring their self worth. NeatStuff! Helped over seven thousand individual children last year- we at BeBop love helping them help others.
For more information, or to offer individual support to these organizations, please visit their websites.
