The Wonder of Heart Crate

Written by Shae Rufe 

Something that a lot of people don’t know about me, is that I’m really big on charity and giving back. It’s not something that I talk about often, because I’m not good with making something like that feel like it's about me. So, I just give quietly behind the scenes and share with others in a more intimate setting what charities I think are awesome. But sometimes, you come across a charity that does such wonderful things you need share it with everyone, which is why I want to take a moment today to talk about Heart Crate.
 
This amazing charity personalizes boxes for children who are going through traumatic events, such as relocations. This is a hard time, especially for children, and a lot of them are not able to bring a lot of their comforts. These boxes will be put together for each child with a focus on something the child loves as well as containing a novel and comic books. The idea is to help promote literacy as well as provide comfort for the child. This charity’s goal is to help children going through these tough times. They are giving individuals the chance to custom make boxes for kids with their own donations. 

When I read about their goals, I literally cried with how wonderful this is. I am personally so touched with this organization and their desire to help children. Many kids enter the foster system, which is a pretty traumatic experience. While the situation they were in beforehand are not healthy or ideal in the least, it is a familiarity that the child knows and knows well. Most children in the system aren’t even provided with suitcases, meaning their precious belongings are toted from place to place in a trash bag. It is utterly heartbreaking to think what they go through. Heart Crate wants to help children experiencing these awful things by giving them a sense of comfort. I can say that I have a few items that instantly make me feel better as a grown adult, so I can only imagine how those items can help a child experiencing complex situations. Many of us grew up being able to hide in literature and comics, and to help pass that on is wonderful experience.

Heart Crate works by having a professional or a guardian fill out a survey about the child’s likes. They then assemble the boxes with the child’s age and interests in mind. Donators are allowed to leave a letter for the child as well, to help cheer them up and on. The box is then delivered to the caregiver and then the child. This not for profit relies on donations to provide these items to kids. It offers people the chance to be a hero in someone’s life at a time they desperately need it. This is a wonderful opportunity for the nerd community to be our own heroes as well as give back to others who need it. I remember being a geeky kid in need of my own heroes, and I was lucky to find them through the medium I did. I cannot imagine anyone who needs helping hand more than a child going through something like displacement. While we may not all wear capes, we all have a chance to be Batman or Iron Man and give someone something that will help them through their time of need.

For more information and to find where to donate you can visit Heart Crate here. I personally plan to donate as often as I can and do as much as I can to help these children. ​