Story By Donald Campbell

For a child in the foster care system, it can sometimes feel scary or intimidating to be placed in the system or get moved around to a new home. Seeing a way she could give back, one area woman has launched the latest round of a project she started a decade ago, offering children in the foster system something they can call their own, providing them with some comfort during big changes.

Kelli Messina, who began the Buddy Drive 10 years ago, said the idea for doing this came from the fact she had been in foster care herself growing up, thus having a personal understanding of what it’s like. She explained that there are times when children enter into the system, they may only have the clothes on their backs when it comes to things they can call their own. Through this effort, she’s able to provide something to these children they’ll be able to take with them and see as something they own.

“I collect Scentsy Buddies, or monetary donations to purchase them. I give them out to the DeKalb County, Cherokee County, and Jackson County DHRs,” Messina said. “I am a Scentsy consultant, and this is a way I can use my business to give back.”

Since starting the Buddy Drive, Messina said the effort has collected nearly 2,400 Buddies to distribute. Each year, she goes to each county’s DHR and asks how many they could use. This year, all three agencies have requested 100 Buddies. Many times, the agency will have the Buddies set up where the children have the chance to pick one out, truly making it something they can call their own.

“It really brightens their day when they get to pick one out for themselves,” Messina said. “You really see their excitement and their joy, especially when they have the chance to pick from so many options laid out.”

For those interested in helping Messina in this year’s Buddy Drive, they can be purchased from her Scentsy shop at klmessina.scentsy.us, and shipped to her at 200 Alabama Avenue SW, Fort Payne. Monetary donations can be made to her via Paypal, Venmo, CashApp, or Apple Pay. The drive goes through the end of the year, providing plenty of time for the remaining Buddies to be collected for distribution.

“They’re soft, cuddly, and they come with a scent pack,” Messina said. “I hope these Buddies can be a real source of comfort for these children.”