Ashley’s Story – Giving Back

Foster Care Background

In August 2014, Ashley Ricci’s family had the opportunity to provide foster care for a newborn. The baby girl was born seven weeks premature and tested positive for methamphetamine. The baby stayed in their care for fifteen months before returning to her parents.

Ashley, herself, had spent a year in foster care as a young child before a family member was able to adopt her. She remembers fondly the love and care her foster family provided. When the opportunity arose to pay it forward, she accepted the responsibility with open arms.

The story didn’t end the way Ashley hoped. But while experiencing some of the challenges in the system, she recognized the sad need for foster care and strived to find the positives.

Together We Rise

While providing foster care, Ashley followed several foster parent support groups on Facebook where she came across Together We Rise (TWR). TWR is a nonprofit organization dedicated to transforming the way youth navigate through the foster care system in America by providing duffel bags and other services. They call the duffel bags “Sweet Cases.”

Ashley was impressed by Together We Rise.

“Having spent time in foster care myself, and having a foster child in our care at the time, TWR really struck a chord with our family,” she shared.

The Ricci family talked about sponsoring a few Sweet Cases to replace the trash bags provided to foster kids entering the system. But life got in the way, and the opportunity slipped by.

A New Opportunity

Last fall, Ashley became PTA President at Prado View Elementary School in Corona, California where her kids attend. As part of her duties, she had the responsibility of organizing some form of community outreach, as the PTA always does.

Ashley thought this would be the perfect opportunity to partner with Together We Rise.

“Not only would we be able to help a ton of local children in our community, but the kids at our school would be able to learn about foster care, be hands-on in assembling and decorating the bags, and seeing where those bags end up.” 

Ashley began with an online campaign which brought in enough money to sponsor 70 bags. Sweet Cases are blue duffel bags stuffed with a teddy bear, a blanket, a hygiene kit, a coloring book, and crayons. Many school families also donated extra items such as pajamas, night lights, hair accessories, books, etc., making them extra special. Ashley says, “The response was amazing.”

Family Night

To prepare the bags, the PTA hosted a Family Night in the school gym. They set up an assembly line where they filled the bags with the donated items. The families then sat down and lovingly decorated the bags together.

Thanks to contributions by approximately 30 individuals, along with a generous donation from Ralph’s Grocery Store, the families were treated to baked goods, hot cocoa, and sweets during the evening event.

For the families, it was a special time, with parents and kids creatively working side-by-side while talking about what life might be like for foster kids.

Several parents came to Ashley with tears in their eyes to share how much the experience touched them and to thank her for putting it all together.

Ashley’s favorite part?

“It really opened up dialogue with a lot of families who were able to talk to their kids aboutwhat foster kids go through, and about being grateful in their own lives. It was an amazing night, and I can’t wait to do it again.”

 The Bags Find a Home

With 70 beautifully decorated Sweet Cases ready to donate, Ashley had the responsibility of choosing an agency to receive them. She wanted the bags to stay as close to home as possible. Together We Rise Program Manager, Joann Baek, provided Ashley with a list of local agencies they had worked with before, and Avant-Garde Foster Family Agency (FFA) was Ashley’s agency of choice.

Avant-Garde Foster Family Agency is a local non-profit agency with a mission to serve the individualized needs of children in foster care. They accomplish this through the recruitment, training, and equipping of quality resource parents while staying committed to the well-being of the entire foster family unit.

The Sweet Cases donated to Avant-Garde FFA are distributed, one-by-one, to children entering foster care, or those moving from one home to another. As was the purpose of Together We Rise, these children will not have to place their possessions in a trash bag, thanks to the families at Prado View Elementary School and Ashley Ricci.

More Than a Fundraiser

This was more than a fundraising event. Through the generosity of many individuals, Ralph’s, and Together We Rise, a community was touched.

-Children in foster care receive a gift that lets them know they are loved and valued.

-Avant-Garde FFA staff feel supported and recognized for their important work with foster families.

-The staff, families, and children of Prado View Elementary School learned important lessons on empathy and family as they gave from their hearts.

-The donors receive far more than a tax write-off and exposure. They receive our gratitude.

-The hard-working individuals of Together We Rise gain the joy of seeing the fruits of their mission.

-Due to Ashley’s leadership and heart for foster youth, a community is forever changed by working together to create a better experience for these kids.

Need More Information?

To learn more about becoming a foster parent or ways you can help, call the office of Avant-Garde Foster Family Agency at 951-735-5300. Find out more here.

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Photos curtesy of Ashley Ricci

Article written by Cindy White Horvath. She can be reached at cindy@avgffa.org