EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) – A 17-year-old El Paso Boy Scout spearheaded a month-long project to collect donations of luggage for children under the care of Texas Child Protective Services.
Life Scout Max Estorga, with Troop 53, organized the effort to bring different organizations and people together in the El Paso community to help children with a case under Texas CPS.
The campaign officially ended on Saturday, March 1 but Estorga plans to continue collecting donations in the future.
“Before this, children were being transported from their homes or from foster home to foster home, using trash bags to store their belongings, which can be very demeaning if you think about collecting everything you own in your life and putting it in a trash bag. So being aware of this problem, we decided to start collecting suitcases to help these children move from home to home,” Estorga said.
Since 2023, the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) has been directed to provide luggage to children being removed from their home or who are changing placement, under House Bill 3756. That, however, has been a challenge for the DFPS branch in El Paso which relies solely on independent donations, according to the agency.
Through Saturday, March 1, Estorga collected over 370 donations that were given to the DFPS branch in El Paso.
The initiative was part of a required service project Estorga had to dedicate to a local organization to achieve the rank of an Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America.
Estorga said he came up with the idea of the luggage drive after reading an article that highlighted how children under CPS care were given trash bags to carry their belongings when being removed from their troubled home.
He said that while he was excited about the idea of the project, he was worried that he wouldn’t gather enough donations at first.
“Once I actually started going out and talking to people and hearing their response, it (became) more than just the suitcases, really. It was the response from El Pasoans, donation or not, their interest and their activity in spreading the word was really heartwarming. Just to be aware of problems in our community could open up so many possibilities to (get) help from so many people that are willing and generous in our community,” Estorga said.
Several local organizations, clubs, and even schools heeded Estorga’s call, by collecting donations.
“We wanted to make it as easy as possible for people that were donating. So we partnered with the YMCA to hold a drive and collect suitcases there, or we opened our email to requests and met with people at their homes or businesses and collected luggage from them,” Estorga said.
Estorga said that while his Eagle Scout service project required an end date for submission, he will continue to accept donations in the future to continue helping the Texas DFPS office in El Paso and the children it serves.
“As this project was my own undertaking, I will be continuing to accept donations, intermittently at different scheduled times or different arranged pick ups,” Estorga said.
To arrange a donation drop off or pick up with Estorga, you can email him at max.estorga.53@gmail.com
Beyond the luggage donations, the Texas DFPS branch of El Paso also has a Rainbow Room where they collect other highly-needed donations for the families they serve.
To contact Amber Hansen, Rainbow Room coordinator for the DFPS branch in El Paso, you can email amber.hansen@dfps.texas.gov., or call (915) 201-7974.
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