Something They Can Call Their Own: Bringing Hope to Children Through Johnson County Juvenile Intake
Community Impact Story | Johnson County Juvenile Intake and Assessment
Imagine being a child suddenly removed from everything familiar.
Your home, your routine, your belongings, and the people you've known may no longer be part of your immediate surroundings. You're facing uncertainty, surrounded by unfamiliar faces, and trying to understand what happens next.
In moments like these, even the smallest act of kindness can carry extraordinary meaning.
At Care Package Inbound (CPI), we believe that every child deserves to feel valued, protected, and remembered, especially during some of the most difficult moments of their life.
Through our partnership with Johnson County Juvenile Intake and Assessment (JIAC), we've seen how a simple backpack can offer something far greater than the supplies inside.
It can give a child something to call their own.
Meeting Children in Their Most Difficult Moments
The professionals at Johnson County Juvenile Intake and Assessment encounter children of all ages, from infants and toddlers to elementary-aged children and teenagers, who are experiencing incredibly challenging circumstances.
Some arrive after situations that are difficult for most of us to imagine.
During these moments, JIAC's dedicated intake specialists work to provide a welcoming environment filled with compassion, understanding, and genuine concern for each child's well-being.
But even with the care and attention these professionals provide, children often need immediate access to basic necessities.
That's where Care Package Inbound comes alongside them.
Our backpacks contain thoughtfully selected essentials, including clothing, new socks and underwear, hygiene products, and age-appropriate comfort items.
But as JIAC shared in a letter of support, the greatest impact isn't always found in what's inside the bag.
More Than Supplies. A Sense of Belonging.
In a letter dated December 8, 2022, Mary Ann Pitnick, Programs Coordinator with Johnson County's Department of Corrections, shared what these backpacks have meant to the children served by JIAC.
She described how the care bags provide essential items for children preparing to leave their care, but emphasized something even more important.
> "these care bags provide a true sense of self-worth, a sense that someone truly cares, and something they can say is mine!"
, Mary Ann Pitnick, Programs Coordinator, Johnson County Department of Corrections
Something they can say is mine.
Those words are powerful.
For a child whose world may have just been turned upside down, having something that belongs entirely to them can mean so much.
A new shirt. A pair of socks. A stuffed animal. A backpack filled with things chosen specifically for someone their age.
These aren't extravagant gifts. They're simple necessities that can communicate an extraordinary message:
You matter. You deserve dignity. Someone thought about you before you even arrived.
At Care Package Inbound, that's what we want every backpack to represent.
The Smiles That Remind Us Why We Do This
One of the most meaningful parts of Mary Ann's letter was her description of what happens when children receive their backpacks.
She shared that children leaving JIAC's care smile and express genuine appreciation when receiving their care bags.
Think about that for a moment.
In the middle of what may be one of the most confusing or painful experiences of a child's life, a backpack filled with everyday essentials can help create a moment of happiness.
It doesn't erase what they've experienced.
It doesn't solve every challenge ahead.
But it can remind them that they have not been forgotten.
And sometimes, that small moment of reassurance is exactly what a child needs.
A Community That Shows Up for Its Children
Our partnership with Johnson County Juvenile Intake and Assessment is a reminder that helping children in crisis takes an entire community.
It takes compassionate professionals who welcome children during uncertain moments. It takes volunteers who carefully pack backpacks. It takes businesses and organizations willing to partner with us. And it takes generous donors who believe that every child deserves to feel cared for.
Together, these acts of service create meaningful moments of comfort for children who need them most.
We are incredibly grateful to the team at JIAC for the difficult and important work they do, and for allowing Care Package Inbound to be one small part of the support they provide.
Their words remind us that our mission has never been simply about handing a child a bag of supplies.
It's about restoring a little dignity, offering a moment of hope, and giving a child something they can truly call their own.
Help Us Be Ready for the Next Child
Right now, there are children facing circumstances they never chose and challenges they should never have to navigate alone.
We cannot change every circumstance that brings a child into care. But together, we can help change how supported that child feels during the transition.
Every backpack funded, every item donated, and every hour volunteered helps us prepare for the next child who needs comfort and care.
[Help Fund the Next Backpack](https://www.carepackageinbound.com/give)
Every backpack tells a story. Help us be ready for the next child.
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Read the original letter of support from Mary Ann Pitnick at Johnson County Juvenile Intake and Assessment, dated December 8, 2022, attached below.