My name is Max Lo Russo, and my brother, Alex, founded Luggage for Love in 2024 after a conversation he had with our mom.

My mom is a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA), and she often tells us stories about the kids she serves. One day, she told my brother that many times, when teens in particular move between foster placements, they end up carrying their belongings in garbage bags.

My brother was so upset by this that he did something about it and eventually founded Luggage for Love. Only 14 at the time, I helped but mostly watched as my brother, his friends, and people in our community took this little idea, to provide comfort and dignity to children in foster care, and turned it into a registered nonprofit.

As my brother heads off to college, we needed someone to step up to lead the drives, coordinate pickups and drop-offs, answer emails, and take over. I feel really honored and excited to be that person.

While we know that a duffel bag can't change what a child is going through, it can at least let them know that they are cared for and deserve to be treated with love and dignity.

It's also important to me that although we support children of all ages, many of our drives focus on teenagers. Teens my age often move the most frequently and are the most difficult to place. As a result, many end up in group homes. Teenagers are also the group that is most often overlooked. It's important to me personally that these kids know they haven't been forgotten and that there are people who care and are pulling for them.

Many great ideas start with a small action. Please help our idea grow and continue to impact children across Long Island.