Giving Back

Niceville-Valp Kiwanis delivers 288 ‘bags of hope’ to foster children in Northwest Florida

Local Kiwanis club teams up with NextEra Energy and FPL to help children entering foster care across four counties.

Jared Williams

The Kiwanis Foundation of Niceville-Valparaiso delivered 288 Bags of Hope to foster children in Northwest Florida on August 16, providing essential items to children entering the foster care system.

The organization partnered with the NextEra Energy Foundation, Florida Power & Light Company and other Florida Division 1 Kiwanis Clubs to assemble the bags at the Community Life Center of Crosspoint Church in Niceville. The bags were then delivered to Northwest Florida Health Network in Pensacola.

The duffel bags contain toiletries, blankets, comfort items and personal care products for children entering foster care in Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa and Walton counties. Many of these children are removed from their homes with few or no belongings.

“This project truly demonstrates the power of community partnership,” said Dr. William (Bo) Arnold, president of the Niceville-Valparaiso Kiwanis Club. “Every bag represents compassion, hope, and a reminder to foster children that they are not forgotten.”

Twenty-one Kiwanis members, six Niceville High School Key Club students and two FPL representatives worked together during the assembly event.

J.T. Young, vice president and general manager of FPL Northwest region, said supporting the initiative aligns with NextEra Energy Foundation’s mission to strengthen communities and improve lives.

“We are honored to support this incredible project that builds stronger networks of care for Northwest Florida’s most vulnerable children while providing immediate stability and comfort to those entering foster care,” Young said.

The effort received funding through a $3,000 grant from NextEra Energy Foundation and a matching $3,000 contribution from the Kiwanis Foundation of Niceville-Valparaiso, along with additional donations from fellow Division 1 Kiwanis Clubs.

The Kiwanis Foundation of Niceville-Valparaiso has led the “Bags of Hope” program for two years, with the goal of ensuring no child in northwest Florida enters foster care without basic essentials. The bags will be distributed to foster children throughout the year.