Furlong collects more than 100 suitcases for children in foster care

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BLOOMFIELD / NUTLEY, NJ — Matthew Furlong, a Boy Scout in Bloomfield’s Troop 22 who is working on his Eagle Scout project, has collected more than 100 suitcases for children in the foster care system to carry their belongings in. The idea was inspired by Furlong’s visits to courthouses as a child, when his mother, a prosecutor, would take him to work with her.

Furlong is calling the initiative “Suitcases to the Future” and is giving the donated suitcases to the Nutley-based children’s nonprofit organization Buccos Rising Stars Foundation. The foundation was founded by Carmen Bucco, who himself was a foster child and knows firsthand how difficult it is for teenagers who age out of the system. Bucco’s foundation focuses on helping underserved youths and those exiting foster care prepare for self-sufficiency. For more information, visit www.buccosrisingstars.com.

Photos Courtesy of Matthew Furlong

  Boy Scouts, Eagle Scout, Troop 22