Day 1 Bags: Brand-New Bags for Children and Young Adults in Foster Care

Day 1 Bags states that more than 500 children enter the U.S. foster care system each day and that some arrive or move with belongings packed in trash bags. [3][5] Day 1 Bags exists to change that moment: it gives children and young adults in foster care a brand-new duffel bag, backpack, or suitcase, so their belongings travel with dignity instead of in a garbage sack. Standard bags are provided empty so the agency or caregiver can fill them; specific programs add filled bags and essentials. The organization is based in Boerne, it has distributed more than 285,000 bags across 47 states, and every November and December it partners with Shine Bright Ministries on Christmas parties for children in foster care and other vulnerable situations. [1][2][11] There is no reliable national count of how many children are still given trash bags for their belongings, so claims about the prevalence of the practice should be treated as advocacy estimates rather than measured national statistics. [18]

By Bill Ross, founder of Hill Country Homesteads Group.

Disclosure: I have no financial or volunteer relationship with Day 1 Bags.

This is not a holiday story, and it is not a pitch. It is a source-checked reference about a local charity, the children it serves, and the practical details of giving well. I checked the organization's status on September 19, 2026. Everything below comes from the organization's own pages, its independent rating, IRS-derived Form 990 records, and a local nonprofit directory listing that states it does not verify what it publishes. Where I am giving you my own judgment rather than a verified fact, I say so.

Why the trash bag is the problem

Foster care runs on transitions. A child can be removed from a home with minutes of notice, and children and young adults enter care, change placements, reunify with family, get adopted, graduate, and age out. Every one of those moments means gathering up their belongings and moving. When that container is a trash bag, it is thin, see-through, easy to tear and hard to carry—and it can send an unmistakably degrading message about the value of a child's belongings. Day 1 Bags replaces that container with proper luggage, so the first bag a child carries into a new situation is one someone chose for them. That is the whole mission in one sentence. [1]

Texas has already put that principle into law. Since September 1, 2023, children entering foster care or changing placements in Texas have had a statutory right to have their belongings transported in luggage rather than trash bags. DFPS guidance says at least one piece of luggage must be provided to each child entering care, or at the first placement change after the law took effect, and explicitly states that a child's belongings may never be transported in a trash bag. The law changed the standard; it did not entirely eliminate the problem. [16]

DFPS's most recent statewide report illustrates the remaining gap. The department reported 56 instances in fiscal 2025 in which a trash bag alone was used to transport a foster child's belongings, compared with 62 reported instances in fiscal 2024. In other words, Texas now requires proper luggage, but documented exceptions still occur. That makes organizations such as Day 1 Bags less a substitute for Texas's legal obligation than an additional source of durable luggage, replacement bags, specialty programs, and support for agencies and young people moving through the system. [17]

The verified facts at a glance

Status checked: September 19, 2026. Registration, leadership and program information were checked against the organization's own pages, Charity Navigator, GuideStar and IRS-derived Form 990 records. Financial claims attributed to Day 1 Bags are identified as the organization's own statements; federal filing figures come from IRS-derived Form 990 data. [4][6][7][8][12]

What is confirmed, and what is a judgment call

Confirmed. The organization is a registered 501(c)(3) with EIN 84-5024295, and its independent rating comes from Charity Navigator, not from its own marketing: Four-Star, the top tier. It also displays a Candid Platinum Seal. The 285,000-bags-across-47-states figure is the organization's published total on its impact page, so treat it as the organization's own number rather than an audited one. The mailing address and the contact details were re-checked on September 19, 2026. [2][3][4][5][14]

Judgment calls. Three things here are my reasoning, not statements from the organization. First, for a small charity, unrestricted cash is usually the most flexible gift, because staff can buy exactly what the current events need. Second, if you want a gift tied to the November and December Christmas parties, the window is short, so ask early. Third, deductibility is your tax situation, not the charity's promise; the registration makes donations potentially deductible, and whether yours actually are is a question for your tax preparer. [3][5]

The Candid Platinum Seal deserves one plain-English sentence of its own, because people mistake what it is. It is a transparency marker: it means the organization publishes current financial and program data through Candid's transparency program, which is exactly the layer of public detail a careful giver wants. It is not a statement that every dollar is spent perfectly, and no independent rating is. [4]

Financial stewardship: where your dollar goes

The organization says 92 cents of every dollar donated goes directly to serving youth experiencing foster care and at-risk youth. That is its own statement, published on its Beyond the Bag page and repeated on its donate page. Its FAQ makes a separate claim: the organization receives no government funding, and 100 percent of public donations support youth. Those two statements are not necessarily contradictory, but they describe different concepts and the website does not clearly explain the accounting methodology behind either percentage. The organization's Form 990 shows what it actually spent on programs, administration, and fundraising, and it is free to read on ProPublica's Nonprofit Explorer. Check it before giving to any small charity. [6][9][12]

The most recent publicly available Form 990 is for the fiscal year ending December 2024. IRS-derived data show approximately $934,577 in total revenue and $920,695 in total expenses. IRS-derived Form 990 data indicate that approximately 85 percent of FY2024 expenses were classified as program expenses. [12] Those figures provide a standardized IRS-reported accounting view that readers can compare with the organization's own fundraising and stewardship statements. [12]

The Form 990 does not necessarily measure 'money reaching children' in exactly the same way the organization calculates its '92 cents of every dollar' statement, so the two percentages should not automatically be expected to match. Accounting classifications, donated goods, program administration, fundraising treatment, and the period being measured can produce different percentages. [12]

Who actually receives a Day 1 Bag

The organization's Kendall County Giving Connections profile lists six kinds of moments. Its own homepage names three: removal from home, moves between shelters or placements, and aging out of care. The descriptions in the middle and right columns are mine, in plain English. [1][5]

These six transitions capture the principal circumstances identified by the charity. If you know a foster family or a caseworker, they are the best source for which of these moments is most acute in our area right now. [1]

Two programs reach beyond the bag itself. ASAP, short for A Serenity Activity Pack, puts Day 1 Bags into patrol cars: law enforcement officers carry the packs, filled with comfort and activity items such as fidget spinners, plush toys, coloring books, and wipes, so a child's first contact with police does not have to add to a hard day. The Adopt a Senior from Foster Care campaign celebrates foster youth graduating from high school each year. Per the organization, each sponsored senior receives a package that includes a $100 gift card, a tumbler, life kits (first aid, phone charger, hygiene, and laundry items), luggage, a handmade quilt, and a note of encouragement. [9][10][13]

One detail matters for anyone donating gear. Day 1 Bags says the bags it distributes carry a lifetime warranty: high-quality duffels, backpacks, lunch bags, and vital document bags, never trash bags or low-cost substitutes. The FAQ says the organization accepts only new, unused items, to ensure safety, dignity, and licensing compliance. [9]

How agencies, caseworkers, and churches get bags

Agencies do not usually have to buy Day 1 Bags. According to Day 1 Bags, bags are generally provided to requesting agencies at no cost, and requests come through a form on the organization's website. The FAQ says it welcomes bulk requests from counties, DFPS offices, Rainbow Rooms, and other child welfare partners. If you are a foster parent, a caseworker, or part of a church or school group that serves foster children, start with the request form linked from the organization's homepage. Day 1 Bags says it will try to fill every request, and that if donations fall short it will work with the requester on an alternative bag from another nonprofit or fundraise for the bags. [1][3][9]

What this means for you

Day 1 Bags is headquartered in Boerne, the anchor of the four-county area this site covers: Kendall, Bexar, Comal, and Bandera. Its reach is national, with agencies in 47 states, so a gift does not automatically stay local. The FAQ says donors can designate a gift to a specific state or region at checkout. A household in Fair Oaks Ranch, on San Antonio's north side, in New Braunfels, or out in Bandera can use that option to direct a gift to Texas. The organization also runs holiday programming for Hill Country shelters and children's homes with Shine Bright Ministries. [1][5][9][11]

Day 1 Bags' current Holiday Happiness page identifies participating organizations and programs including Roy Maas Youth Ranch, Hill Country Youth Ranch, St. PJ's, Kendall County Women's Shelter, Respite Care, Boysville, Texas Grandparents Raising Grandchildren, The Children's Shelter, SJRC, Upbring and other foster-care and residential programs. That list provides a much clearer picture of where the holiday program intersects with the Hill Country and greater San Antonio child-welfare community. The complete current list appears on the Day 1 Bags Holiday Happiness page. [11]

I work in real estate around Boerne, so I hear the giving question constantly: some families moving into the area ask where they can give locally, and sellers and estate executors end up holding brand-new gear they cannot use and hate to waste. Day 1 Bags is a particularly straightforward local option because its mission is narrow, its donation rules are relatively specific, and its nonprofit status, Form 990 filings and independent Charity Navigator rating are publicly checkable.

Two related pages on this site are worth keeping next to this one. The Boerne Holiday Giving Guide covers the current wish lists and drop-off rules for the other local nonprofits and community programs, and the donation, reuse, resale, and consignment directory maps where used goods can go next, which is the right home for items that do not fit a brand-new-bags charity. [1]

What people get wrong: read this before you give

1. The published address is identified by Day 1 Bags as a mailing address; the organization does not publish regular public drop-off hours on its contact or donation pages. Do not assume that 118 Lake Front Drive is an unattended public donation center. Contact Day 1 Bags before bringing or shipping in-kind donations. Day 1 Bags, 118 Lake Front Drive, Boerne, TX 78006, is where mail goes. The organization publishes this address for mail and checks, and its Adopt a Senior page routes in-kind gifts through email [13]. No drop-off hours appear on its donate or contact pages. Do not load the car and drive over on the assumption that someone is standing by to receive donations. Email day1bags@gmail.com or use the contact form on the organization's website. [5]
2. Day 1 Bags accepts only new, unused items. Everything about this charity centers on new, high-quality bags. The FAQ says the organization accepts only new, unused items to ensure safety, dignity, and licensing compliance, and it advertises its bags as backed by a lifetime warranty. If you have used luggage or bags to pass along, the right home is a reuse directory, not a brand-new-bags charity. The site's donation, reuse, resale, and consignment directory maps where used goods can go next. [1][2][9]
3. Holiday giving has a deadline. Day 1 Bags says it partners with Shine Bright Ministries on Christmas parties every November and December, and its Holiday Happiness page lists ways to sponsor a party, a gift, a Santa visit, or the drive-through lights. Those events have fixed dates, so ask early. [11]
4. "As allowed by law" is doing real work in that tax sentence. Being a 501(c)(3) makes donations potentially deductible; whether yours are depends on your own return, your itemization, and what records you keep. Get a receipt (the FAQ says the organization sends one), note the EIN (84-5024295), and let a tax professional answer the deductibility question for you. Beginning with tax year 2026, the IRS says taxpayers who do not itemize may deduct up to $1,000 of qualifying cash contributions, or $2,000 for married couples filing jointly. Taxpayers who itemize are generally subject to a new 0.5-percent-of-AGI floor on charitable deductions. Noncash gifts do not qualify for the new non-itemizer deduction. [3][9][15]
5. Giving well is a sequence, not a single act. The order that works: ask what is needed, buy or send exactly that, and get it to the organization with time to spare for sorting and packing. A brand-new bag that reaches the charity is worth more than a brand-new bag that stays in your trunk until February. [1][5]

What to do next

1. Contact the organization first. Email day1bags@gmail.com or use the contact form on the organization's website to confirm current needs, which in-kind gifts they accept, and how to get them to the organization. This one step prevents almost every well-intentioned mistake. [5]
2. Ask what in-kind gifts they accept. The organization buys its bags from named vendors (Flying Circle, Mint Sweet Little Things, and Spectrum Uniforms). Day 1 Bags says the bags it distributes carry a lifetime warranty, so ask before buying luggage yourself. Its Adopt a Senior page lists other in-kind gifts: gift cards, handmade quilts, zipper pouches, and supply drives. Clear anything new and unused with the organization first. [2][9][13]
3. Cash is generally the most flexible gift. An unrestricted financial contribution gives the organization the flexibility to purchase the specific bags and supplies agencies are requesting. The donate page lists online giving, Venmo, PayPal, Zelle, a bank option, and checks payable to Day 1 Bags. Use the organization's own donate page, not a link from a social post. The FAQ says you can designate a gift to a specific state or region at checkout, so Texas readers can direct a gift to Texas. Keep your receipt and EIN 84-5024295 for your records. [3][9]
4. Mind the timeline. The organization's holiday parties run in November and December. If you want to be part of them, contact the organization before November. [11]
5. Be the person who connects neighbors. Bookmark this page, share it, and mention it to your church group, civic club, office, or anyone who says they want to help a local charity but does not know which one. A verified local target is exactly what a would-be giver is missing. [5]

Frequently asked questions

Is Day 1 Bags a real, registered charity?

Yes. It is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization with EIN 84-5024295. Charity Navigator currently awards it a Four-Star rating with a 95 percent score, and the organization also displays Candid's Platinum Seal of Transparency. The IRS has recognized it as tax-exempt since April 2020. Status re-checked September 19, 2026. [3][4][5]

Are donations tax-deductible?

The organization is a 501(c)(3), and donations may be tax-deductible as allowed by law. That wording is deliberate. Keep a donation receipt, note the EIN, and confirm with your tax preparer what you can claim. [3][5]

Where do I send or drop off items?

The mailing address is Day 1 Bags, 118 Lake Front Drive, Boerne, TX 78006. The published address is identified by Day 1 Bags as a mailing address; the organization does not publish regular public drop-off hours on its contact or donation pages. Do not assume that 118 Lake Front Drive is an unattended public donation center. Contact Day 1 Bags before bringing or shipping in-kind donations. Email day1bags@gmail.com or use the contact form on the organization's website. [5]

Are used bags accepted?

No. The organization accepts only new, unused items to ensure safety, dignity, and licensing compliance. [9] If you have used luggage or bags to pass along, please refer to our local donation, reuse, resale, and consignment directory to find an appropriate alternative home for them.

How are donations used?

Day 1 Bags uses donations to purchase bags that it provides to requesting agencies at no charge and to support programs such as Adopt a Senior, ASAP and its holiday programming. The organization says it receives no government funding. The 285,000-plus bags across 47 states is the organization's published total to date, and its homepage still shows an older figure of 250,000. [2][3][9][11]

How to check any charity yourself

Do not rely on this page, or on any charity's own website, for the numbers that matter. Four free checks take about five minutes. First, confirm tax-exempt status in the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search using the EIN, 84-5024295. Second, read the latest Form 990 on ProPublica's Nonprofit Explorer, which shows revenue, program expenses, administrative and fundraising costs, and officer pay. Third, open the Charity Navigator page and note the score and any date shown. Fourth, open the GuideStar profile and read the transparency seal level and the board list. If the 92-cent figure matters to your decision, the Form 990 is where you test it. [4][8][12]

The bottom line

A child's belongings should not travel in a trash bag. Texas has recognized that principle in law since September 2023, requiring proper luggage when children enter foster care or change placements. Yet DFPS still recorded 56 trash-bag-only incidents in fiscal 2025, and the need extends beyond the initial removal: bags are lost or damaged, young people move repeatedly, graduate and age out, and Day 1 Bags serves agencies well beyond Texas. In Boerne, there is a nonprofit built specifically around that problem. [16][17]

The organization's basic credentials check out: Day 1 Bags is a registered 501(c)(3), files federal Form 990 returns, currently holds a Four-Star Charity Navigator rating, displays Candid's Platinum Transparency Seal, and reports more than 285,000 bags distributed through agencies in 47 states.

Contact Day 1 Bags first, then give cash, or ask which in-kind gifts they accept. One new bag, one child, one moment that goes a little more gently than it did before. That is the whole ask. [1][5]

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Sources

1. Day 1 Bags, official website. The mission, what the organization does, and who it serves. day1bags.org
2. Day 1 Bags, Impact. The organization's published total of more than 285,000 bags distributed across 47 states. day1bags.org/impact
3. Day 1 Bags, Donate. Current ways to give and the organization's 501(c)(3) status. day1bags.org/donate
4. Charity Navigator, Day 1 Bags profile. Current Four-Star rating with a score of 95 percent, checked September 19, 2026. Because Charity Navigator scores can change as new filings and information are incorporated, readers should check the live profile for the latest rating. charitynavigator.org
5. Kendall County Giving Connections, Day 1 Bags profile. Local nonprofit directory listing: mission, 2016 origin, program descriptions, EIN 84-5024295, mailing address, and phone number. The directory states that it does not validate or verify the accuracy of the information it publishes. kendallcountygivingconnections.com
6. Day 1 Bags, Beyond the Bag (Give with Confidence). The organization's statement that 92 cents of every dollar donated goes directly to serving youth experiencing foster care and at-risk youth. day1bags.org/beyond-the-bag
7. Day 1 Bags, About. The organization's own account of its founding in 2016 as an Eagle Scout project and the team behind it. day1bags.org/about
8. GuideStar, Day 1 Bags profile. The IRS-registered nonprofit profile for EIN 84-5024295, listing Hunter Beaton as founder and board chair and Paula Beaton as chief operating officer. guidestar.org
9. Day 1 Bags, FAQ. The lifetime warranty on the bags, the Adopt a Senior from Foster Care campaign, the statement that 100 percent of public donations support youth, the policy of accepting only new, unused items, free bag requests from agencies, and designating a gift to a state or region. day1bags.org/faq
10. Day 1 Bags, A Serenity Activity Pack (ASAP). The law enforcement program that places bags filled with comfort and activity items in patrol cars for officers to give children during field encounters. day1bags.org/a-serenity-activity-pack
11. Day 1 Bags, Holiday Happiness. The current list of shelters, foster-care agencies, youth ranches, kinship programs, and residential operations supported by the Christmas program, plus sponsorship options. day1bags.org/holiday-happiness
12. ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, Day 1 Bags. IRS-derived Form 990 filings and confirmation that the organization has been tax-exempt since April 2020. projects.propublica.org
13. Day 1 Bags, Adopt a Senior. Package contents and ways to help, including gift cards, handmade quilts, zipper pouches, and supply drives. day1bags.org/adopt-a-senior
14. Day 1 Bags, Contact. The organization's contact email and contact form. day1bags.org/contact
15. IRS Publication 505 (2026) and IRS Topic No. 506, Charitable Contributions. The IRS's own guidance on the 2026 charitable-deduction rules: the non-itemizer deduction of up to $1,000 of qualifying cash contributions ($2,000 for married couples filing jointly), the 0.5 percent of adjusted gross income floor for itemized charitable deductions, and the exclusion of noncash gifts from the new non-itemizer deduction. irs.gov/publications/p505 and irs.gov/taxtopics/tc506
16. Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, "Providing Luggage to Children." Appendix D of the DFPS Community-Based Care Operations Manual, explaining the requirement under Texas Family Code §264.178(c): at least one piece of luggage for each child entering care or at the first placement change after the law took effect, and the explicit statement that a child's belongings may never be transported in a trash bag. dfps.texas.gov
17. Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, "House Bill 3765 — Luggage Supply and Distribution for Transport of the Personal Belongings of a Foster Child," FY2025 report. The department's annual HB 3765 report, reporting 56 trash-bag-only incidents in FY2025 and 62 in FY2024. Posted in the DFPS Child Protective Services reports and presentations library. dfps.texas.gov
18. Day 1 Bags, Dignity Not Trash. The organization's acknowledgment that there is no reliable nationwide count of foster children whose belongings continue to be transported in trash bags. day1bags.org/dignity
19. Day 1 Bags, Important Documents. An additional first-party route to the organization's Form 990 and tax filings. day1bags.org/important-documents
20. Texas Exes, Longhorn 100. The current Longhorn 100 profile identifying Day 1 Bags as a 2026 Top 25 honoree and returning honoree from 2023, 2024 and 2025. texasexes.org

The verified facts above were checked on September 19, 2026 against the organization's own pages, its Charity Navigator and GuideStar profiles, IRS-derived Form 990 records, and a Kendall County nonprofit directory listing that disclaims verification. Event dates, local needs, hours, and drop-off rules can change, so confirm them with Day 1 Bags before you rely on them.

Last verified: September 19, 2026