JAMESTOWN – Bea Cunningham, along with her mother Sue Cunningham, delivered handmade tote bags to the Court Appointed Special Advocate Program of Chautauqua County. The purpose of these bags is to be given to children in need of a care bag during a placement into foster care. Sometimes children enter the system with little or nothing. These caring bags can mean the world to a child that has just lost everything.

Bea, who is a former foster child, began this project at Jefferson Middle School for her Junior Girl Scouts Bronze Award. The goal of the award is to complete a project that makes a difference in their community. Bea rallied her school together by collecting donations of items to be placed into her care bags.

She collected items such as tooth brushes, teddy bears, blankets, coloring books and crayons. Bea and several other Jefferson Middle School students worked together after school to put all of the bags together. She even asked the family and consumer science class at the school to sew 15 different homemade bags.

Bea then contacted CASA of Chautauqua to see if they would be interested in receiving the donated bags for their CASA Children entering the foster care system. Cunningham’s mother Sue says “Bea remembered her CASA worker being such an important part of her life and thought of CASA as the perfect place to donate the bags.”

Bea has been nominated into the CASA of Chautau-qua “Kids Caring for Kids” Wall of fame. “When we met Bea we could tell she was a wonderful, caring little girl,” said CASA staff. “She is an amazing example to others that you really can make a huge impact in your community if you put your mind to it, which is exactly what our Kids Caring for Kids program is all about. We have already given out some of Bea’s caring bags to children in need.”

The mission of the CASA Program in Chautauqua County is to provide an independent voice in court, advocating for the best interest of abused and neglected children in the pursuit of safe and permanent homes.