When Marjorie Stoneman Douglas students Brianna Bango, 17, Mia Bono, 16, Amanda Bilsky, 16, and Samantha Shortz, 16, handed over a duffel bag filled with essentials and a handwritten birthday card as part of Project 1841, they knew they were giving more than supplies—they were giving hope.
From competitive dancing and sports to volunteering for Project 1841, a grassroots effort supporting teens aging out of foster care, these local girls are proving that age is no barrier to making a difference.
Across the city of Parkland, the newest members of this charitable organization, Martina Velez, 14, and Graciela Wilson, 14, make the eighth generation of volunteers—each group passing the torch as they graduate high school and welcome new members.
Together, they’re using their time and talents to support local causes and inspire others to do the same.
Founded in 2007 by then–Weston student Alexandra “Alex” Rubin and her peers, Ilana Wolpert, Alexandra Kaplan, and Alli Weiss, Project 1841 raises funds and collects donations to pack starter kits in duffel bags for youth turning 18 and aging out of the foster care system.
Prior to the duffel bags provided by Project 1841, these kids usually packed up their belongings in plastic garbage bags when setting out on their own.
Nearly two decades later, a new generation continues the tradition—packing duffel bags filled with essentials and hope.
“These girls are a blessing,” says Kaydion Watson, director of youth services at ChildNet, a nonprofit advocacy agency serving vulnerable children in Broward and Palm Beach counties. “We’re very appreciative of all they do for our foster youth.”
As director of youth services for the past six years, Watson has spent most of her 20-plus-year career working with foster youth, beginning as an independent living specialist. Committed and loving what she does, Watson says she’s happy to have a positive impact on these kids’ lives and is grateful to Project 1841 for their commitment and generosity.
“The girls of Project 1841 choose to be impactful with their time and energy and to give our kids a feeling of being valued,” she says. “We’re forever grateful for them.”
Teens in foster care “age out” of the system on their 18th birthday. Many will face challenges without the support of family or relatives or a safety net. Compared with their peers, young people who have aged out may face particular hurdles, including behavioral, mental, and physical health issues and challenges with housing instability, interrupted education, joblessness, and substance abuse.
The transition to “emancipation” can be daunting. Project 1841’s mission is to make that transition less daunting.
The name 1841 denotes three things: “18” is the age that youth age out of the foster care system, beginning their journey toward independence. “Four” signifies the original four girls who worked with ChildNet to collect donations and pack starter kits for the youth. “One” symbolizes the one cause that unites the girls—helping foster teens to transition from foster care to independent living.
According to figures provided by Project 1841, more than 120 teens age out of Broward County’s foster care system each year, and some of those teens age out when they are still in high school.
The first delivery of bags was in April 2008. Each month, ChildNet forwards to Project 1841 a list of names of youth who are aging out of foster care on their 18th birthday. Every month, the girls pack bags filled with sheets, towels, a pillow, utensils, plates, toiletries, snacks, detergent, and more, as well as a handwritten birthday card to each teen.
Brianna Bango’s mother, Maggie Cicarelli, a licensed clinical social worker and 18-year Parkland resident, says, “In this day and age, it’s particularly inspiring to see high school girls who are privileged to live in an amazing community in Parkland step up and give back to their counterparts.”
She says, “It also teaches them to be part of a community.”
The impact is tangible, but not without cost. Each bag costs about $100 to fill, and with prices rising, Cicarelli says they are always looking to host fundraisers or accept donations to support their efforts. Each generation adds its own touches to the bags, such as gift cards to fast-food restaurants or something to make the teens’ first night on their own more comfortable.
Since inception, more than 1,500 bags have been packed and delivered, thanks to the group’s fundraising efforts. Additionally, as each volunteer graduates high school, a new generation steps up to further the cause.
While Cicarelli acknowledges that the foster youth have a long journey ahead of them, and the volunteers’ efforts are “but a blip on the radar of their journey,” she knows from her professional experience as a social worker that kids who go on to do well and be successful, independent, contributing adults had someone who stepped up and showed an interest in their life.
“Sometimes a small act of kindness can make a difference in someone’s life,” she says.
All the donated items are stored at Cicarelli’s home, and once a month Project 1841 members gather to prepare the bags. ChildNet provides the group with the first names of those who will age out the following month.
Bango, a rising senior at MSD High School who hopes to apply to the BS/MD program at the University of South Florida and one day become an orthopedic doctor, says she’s motivated by her “love for our community” and a desire to make it better.
She also volunteers with Parkland Buddy Sports and created an organization that promotes health through dance called “Groove for Goodness,” which brings dancers to nursing homes, hospitals, assisted living facilities, and shelters to dance alongside the residents.
“Project 1841 is for a great cause, and I think it’s important to give back,” says the straight-A student, who is the primary coordinator and in her fourth year as a volunteer.
Over the past 2½ years, Bango has forged close friendships with two of the other volunteers, Bilsky and Shortz, both lacrosse players at MSD, and the girls say they are grateful for the friendships they’ve made.
As yet undecided on where they plan to go to college, Bilsky excels in history and Shortz, who also prepares sandwiches for Our Father’s House Soup Kitchen in Pompano Beach, excels in math. Both also volunteer their time at Parkland Buddy Sports.
Shortz enjoys the physical act of packing the bags, knowing that these are necessities that will give the foster students a fresh start.
The girls all agree that being part of something greater than themselves is a good feeling. “It’s very rewarding,” says Bango.
“We all feel fortunate for what we have and grateful for the life we were given,” she says in a “There but for the grace of God, go I” moment.
A fact not lost on these young students is that the bags they are preparing are for teens similar to themselves.
Bango visited ChildNet in person to see firsthand where her contributions and donations were going. “It changed my perspective,” she says. “I saw that we are making a concrete contribution and making an impact on young people’s lives.”
After a summer of travel for Bilsky and Shortz, some SAT prep, a Cold Play concert at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, and a national dance competition in New York for Bango, these teens geared up for back-to-school, college prep, and future careers.
Going forward, they bring with them more than their academic and extracurricular achievements—they carry the experience of having made a difference in someone’s life. And for the foster youth receiving their care packages, a show of support from their peers can be a small but significant gesture, and one that can be life-changing.
To help with this cause, please go to gofund.me/9161253f, and visit Project 1841.