Amy Linnemann is soft enough to speak of Jesus’ compassion as pastor of Ohio Chapel United Methodist Church. And Linnemann is tough enough to have been a roller derby queen named Metaphorocious for Columbus’ Terrorz team a few years ago.
The yin and yang of those two personas present at least a partial picture of the founder and volunteer leader of the local and growing nonprofit called Beloved. Her vulnerability is the trait that opened her heart three years ago to the need of some of the youngest and most vulnerable residents in Bartholomew County. And her toughness remains an element that pushes her and her team to make sure these residents’ dignity and psyche are protected.
With the help of social workers, the organization supplies a colorful duffel bag — a Beloved Bag — to every child caught up in the crisis of a traumatic transition such as a move to foster care. Each Beloved Bag is stocked with items designed to meet urgent physical and emotional needs, with room for them to pack and tote personal belongings. Beloved reaches approximately 300 children and youth per year in Bartholomew — and it recently began reaching out to those in surrounding counties.
The bag serves as a significant tool for youngsters, since many children in the past have been left to pack belongings in a trash bag, often making them feel as if they are as disposable as the container.
Linnemann speaks of the mission with an evangelist’s passion while passing praise to an army of supporters, from a volunteer board to key corporate help from such partners as Cummins Inc., Toyota Material Handling, Centra Credit Union, and Bartholomew County REMC, whose grant paid for this year’s supply of bags. Plus, individuals such as local elementary school student Hadley Andresen made and sold greeting cards last year that generated $1,200 for the cause.
“We have a tremendously generous community determined to support some of the most vulnerable,” Linnemann said. “All of the doors connected with this work began opening before I even knocked.”
One more door
One additional door opening May 29 will give the community more opportunities to help. That will include local businesses capable of offering a range of services addressing the needs of foster and kinship care families served by Beloved. A free, special Foster and Kinship Care Appreciation Day with games, vendors and more will unfold from 3 to 5 p.m. at Mill Race Park in downtown Columbus.
“First, we are hoping to surround these families with encouragement and support from our community,” Linnemann said. “Second, we are hoping to give them an opportunity to connect with organizations in town whose services address their unique and pressing needs.”
Most of the supplies that stock each Beloved Bag — everything from shampoo to coloring books — are donated by individuals, churches, or businesses in the area. In fact, a number of local churches recently held packing parties to fill duffle bags and have been strong supporters since the beginning.
“There are so many people here who really desire to help kids in crisis,” Linnemann said. “But they don’t feel equipped to be foster parents.”
Beyond individual and corporate in-kind donor efforts, fully 100 percent of all financial donations go directly toward the costs associated with filling and distributing Beloved Bags or closely-related costs such as publicity materials. Beloved’s operation uses no donated funds for overhead expenditures since the current headquarters is Linnemann’s home office. New Hope Christian Church donates sizable space for duffle bag and supply storage.
Dr. Kathleen Inman, a local chiropractor, serves as Beloved’s inventory director for that storage space that looks as if it were organized by a paid professional, thanks to donated shelves, carpeting and more. She was drawn to the organization partly because her father was adopted.
“What we’re all doing as volunteers is just so powerful and so needed,” Inman said. “I wonder sometimes if there had been someone to make my father’s transition smoother, how that might have positively impacted his life.”
Firsthand knowledge
Beloved board member Jena-Christine Lawrence went through California’s foster care system as a young child for several years.
“When all of your belongings are placed in a trash bag, it can make you feel really terrible about yourself,” Lawrence said. “It’s almost like you’re being thrown away just like garbage.”
When Linnemann made a visit with her daughter not long ago to drop off some of the organization’s bags to a local foster placement agency, her daughter noticed a young girl in the waiting area grow especially animated when she saw the bags being carried past her.
The girl got the attention of others near her, and excitedly pointed out that the bags were just like hers.
“Things like that,” Linnemann said, “make this all worthwhile.”
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What: A day for the nonprofit Beloved organization to give the community additional opportunities to support families providing foster and kinship care outreach to children and young people facing traumatic transitions. The free event will include games, prizes, and free professional photos for foster and kinship care families.
When: 3 to 5 p.m. May 29
Where: Mill Race Park in downtown Columbus
Information: the website belovedbags.org — where donations can be made — or the Facebook page for Beloved @Beloved Bags.
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