GAITHERSBURG, MD, December 9, 2019—The conference rooms at DeLeon & Stang blare holiday music, but it is not for a holiday party. It is more like a Santa’s workroom, but instead of toys, the conference rooms at the DeLeon & Stang teams in their Gaithersburg, MD, Frederick, MD, and Leesburg, VA offices are stuffing backpacks.

Surveying the scene of scurrying elves, you’ll notice these aren’t ordinary backpacks. There are no school supplies in sight, but rather clothes, toiletries, and stuffed animals. These bags aren’t going to a school. These bags are being delivered to Comfort Cases, whose mission is to prevent foster children from having to pack their belongings in trash bags.

“I remember carrying a trash bag and feeling worthless like nobody cared about me.”—Comfort Cases Founder Rob Scheer, on carrying a trash bag in foster care

Founder Rob Scheer was a foster child, who then went on to foster four children, whom he later adopted. In fostering his own children, he was disheartened, seeing the continued practice of giving foster children a trash bag to pack their belongings. This inspired him to start Comfort Cases.

DeLeon & Stang first met Comfort Cases as a client, but as they got to know them during the engagement, DeLeon & Stang was inspired into action. Terri King at DeLeon & Stang took the lead, coordinating an event that would take place over three different locations.

“I think about what-ifs, what if my daughter or my grandchildren, what if I knew someone who was in the system, and just breaks me down.”—Terri King of DeLeon & Stang on what inspired her to help

As the day closes out, DeLeon & Stang prepares to deliver 50 backpacks to Comfort Cases. They know they made a small dent into the approximately 437,000 children in the foster care system, but it is 50 children who will know they matter.