Former foster youth turned pageant winner gives back
By Michelle Knight knight@theacorn.com

JANN HENDRY/Acorn Newspapers FAMILY LOVE- Dedria Brunett, 15, center, sits with her family in their Camarillo home earlier this week. Dedria is joined by, left to right, her sister, Jaden, 5; her mom, Tonya; her dad, Jim; and her brother, Hunter, 7. The Camarillo teen began the charity Luggage of Love, which supplies foster children new luggage as a way to help improve their quality of life.

Fifteen-year-old Dedria Brunett hasn't forgotten the day nine years ago when she carried everything she owned in white garbage bags.

When then 6-year-old Dedria came to live with her adopted parents, Tonya and Jim Brunett, she dragged a trash bag filled with her belongings up the brick steps to her new home, a string of clothing trailing behind from a hole in the bag.

Before she was adopted, Dedria had lived for two years in the emergency shelter at Casa Pacifica, a residential treatment center in Camarillo for abused, severely neglected and emotionally disturbed children. Since finding a permanent home and family, Dedria said she had looked for ways to convey a sense of hope to children who find themselves in situations similar to the one she left behind.

One day she came across a flier for a beauty pageant that requires participants to promote a community service project. Dedria convinced her parents this was what she'd been looking for. She would create an organization that would supply children in the foster care system with a travel bag, call it Luggage of Love and promote it through the pageant.

"I told her, 'Do it if it makes you happy.' And it makes her so happy," said Tonya Brunett, who admitted she wasn't thrilled about Dedria's interest in beauty pageants at first, but has since warmed up to the idea.

The 5foot8inch Dedria entered the Miss Teen Gold Coast International pageant and was named first runner-up at the April event. When the winner stepped down not long afterward, Dedria was asked to wear the crown and represent Ventura County.

"For so many years I was looking for a way to give back," Dedria said. "I found a great way to help them."

Dedria said being in the pageant has helped her gain poise and self-confidence, but doing something to make life easier for children living in the foster care system was her primary goal.

"If there was no community service (in the pageant), I wouldn't have done it," she said.

"I'm so proud of her for what she's done," Brunett said of her daughter. "She's quite special, and we're very happy she's doing this."

Since capturing the pageant title, Dedria began promoting Luggage of Love. She mailed 500 letters to businesses, service groups and nonprofits in Ventura County. The Kiwanis Club of Camarillo was one of the first groups to respond.

She spoke to the club last week, and members donated 10 suitcases to her cause.

"It's a wonderful idea," Kiwanis member Carole Warren said. "The thought of those kids going from foster home to foster home . . . leaving with a trash bag, it doesn't do anything for their self-esteem."

The club is still collecting luggage to donate, Warren said, adding she expects members to donate about 100 pieces in all.

Dedria is applying for nonprofit status for Luggage of Love and eventually wants to see the organization help foster children across the country. She may have a chance if she wins the Miss Teen California International competition in August and advances to the national pageant next year.

Until then, she'll promote Luggage of Love locally, appearing in her crown and sash at grand openings and community events around the county.

Dedria stores the dozens of brightly colored travel bags in her bedroom, ready when Casa Pacifica or the county's social services agency calls and says they need a few. Because of the lack of storage space, the agencies keep only a couple on hand, she said.

Dedria said she enjoys shopping for each bag, selecting some that will appeal to boys and others that girls will find attractive. She always tries to buy travel bags with rollers.

One goal has eluded Dedria so far. She wants to be there to see the child's face when he or she receives a suitcase, but so often children come and go from Casa Pacifica without advance notice.

Casa Pacifica no longer packs children's belongings in garbage bags- although a child often arrives with one- but tries to send each child off with a plastic box or, when money is available, an $18 military-type duffel bag, spokesperson Carrie Hughes said.

Hughes said the army-green bags are economical, durable and easy to store, though she admitted they aren't as childfriendly as the ones from Luggage of Love.

Dedria said she wants her luggage donation to take some of the financial pressure off Casa Pacifica.

The nonprofit Casa Pacifica depends on donations to fill a gap in its budget of about 12 percent that government funding doesn't cover. The money raised is used to provide a variety of items for the children, including toiletries, clothing, dental procedures and over-the-counter medications.

Brunett said her daughter's project is a "a win-win situation. Plus it's therapy for Dedria because she's giving back to the kids."

To donate, call (805) 4828765 or mail a check to Luggage of Love, 953 Callado St., Camarillo, 93010.

A website for the charity, www.luggageoflove.org, is under construction and expected to debut this week.