SCE Credit Union to partner with Barely Canadian and Comfort Cases for National Foster Care Awareness Month
For every new account opened in May, the credit union will donate a Comfort Case with a Barely Canadian hoodie to a youth in foster care
LOS ANGELES, CA (May 2, 2024) — In honor of National Foster Care Awareness Month, SCE Credit Union (SCE FCU) announced today they will donate a Comfort Case® backpack and Barely Canadian hoodie to youth in foster care for every new account opened in May. Donations will be made through nonprofits helping and supporting children in foster care, including Echoes of Hope, Kidsave and Foster Nation, among others.
This announcement expands SCE FCU’s investment in the community following a $1 million, five-year partnership with the YMCA-LA and a recent partnership with Los Angeles County, unveiling their Youth Access Banking program, specifically for youth in foster care.
“We are incredibly proud to partner with Barely Canadian and Comfort Cases on this initiative during National Foster Care Awareness Month,” said Jennifer Oliver, president and chief executive officer of SCE Credit Union. “Everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. Both Barely Canadian and Comfort Cases share our values and deep sense of responsibility to serve the greater good.”
There are approximately 437,500 youth in foster care in the United States. They are typically given a trash bag to pack up their belongings when they’re removed from their homes. Comfort Cases works to eliminate trash bags from the system and show children in foster care that they matter and there are people who love them.
Comfort Cases backpacks are filled with new, essential comfort and personal care items for youth entering and exiting the foster care system, including pajamas, blankets, towels, hygiene kits, books, journals, coloring books, crayons or pencils, and stuffed animals.
Barely Canadian is a family business that creates incredibly soft apparel and supports youth in foster care through donating a percentage of sales to foster care nonprofits. Each donated Comfort Case and Barely Canadian hoodie has a combined value of over $400.
Similarly, SCE FCU’s partnership with Los Angeles County on their Youth Access Banking program allows youth in foster care as young as 13 to open their own checking and savings accounts without an adult co-owner, with SCE FCU providing an initial $5 deposit to establish the savings account.
“As someone who has fostered and adopted foster children, we wanted a way to continue serving youth in foster care while creating a quality product that showcased our vision,” said Kelly Slattery, founder and chief executive officer of Barely Canadian. “By partnering with SCE Credit Union, we’re working together to support countless kids while giving them items to bring them comfort and warmth when they enter the foster care system.”
“At the age of 12, I entered the foster care system carrying my belongings in a black trash bag and when I ‘aged out’ of the system at 18, I was handed that same black trash bag and was homeless as a senior in high school,” states Rob Scheer, founder and chief executive officer of Comfort Cases. “When our first children came to us through foster care many years later, I was shocked that they were carrying those same trash bags. It had to stop. Comfort Cases appreciates like-minded organizations such as SCE Credit Union and Barely Canadian who step up with programs like this with the potential to help hundreds, if not thousands, of youth in foster care. We’re especially proud to support this initiative during National Foster Care Awareness Month.”
The initiative will run for the entire month of May. Comfort Cases with Barely Canadian hoodies will be supplied to youth in foster care for every new account opened with SCE Credit Union to support as many youth as possible. To learn more about SCE Credit Union or to open an account, visit their website at scefcu.org/makeadifference.
To learn more about Echoes of Hope, Kidsave and Foster Nation visit their websites at echoesofhope.org, kidsave.org and fosternation.org.
About SCE Credit Union
Founded in 1952, SCE Credit Union is a not-for-profit, mission-driven financial institution across southern California and southern Nevada that helps its members thrive – realizing potential through education and a full suite of banking products. Providing banking in underserved communities is a core commitment from SCE Credit Union. It is a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) designated by the U.S. Department of Treasury. SCE FCU’s mission is to uplift communities by providing the knowledge, access, and care that empowers all individuals to achieve lasting financial security. For more information on SCE FCU, visit scefcu.org or follow them on Facebook, Instagram, X, or LinkedIn. Together we rise!
About Comfort Cases
Comfort Cases is a 501 (c)3 non-profit organization with a mission to inspire communities to bring dignity and hope to youth in foster care. Founded in2013, Comfort Cases has distributed more than 250,000 Comfort Cases and Comfort XL duffel bags to children in the foster care system in all 50 states, DC, Puerto Rico, and the United Kingdom. For more information, please visit www.comfortcases.org.
About Barely Canadian
Venice, California-based Barely Canadian, is a family-run business that creates super-soft sweaters, hoodies, onesies, sunsies, smittens, and other comfy, premium apparel. Among its partners are the LA Kings, LA Lakers, SCE Credit Union, and Warner Music Group. Barely Canadian is also passionate about its mission to serve foster youth. The company provides training and employment opportunities for youth in foster care while helping to raise money for foster youth organizations like Echoes of Hope, Kidsave, and its own program, Fosterpreneur. For more on Barely Canadian, visit www.barelycanadian.com.
