Our Founders
Rob and Reece Scheer are the proud fathers of five children from the foster care system who arrived at their home with trash bags. Growing up in foster care himself, Rob remembered feeling disposable as a child carrying a trash bag to his foster home, and he wondered how this could still be happening 30 years later.
In 2013, the Scheer family set out on a mission to eliminate the use of trash bags in the foster care system and provide children entering the system with brand new essential and comfort items. To date, Comfort Cases has impacted over 200,000 children in the foster care system.
Rob is currently the CEO of Comfort Cases, traveling the country to share his story and advocate for youth in foster care. He published his memoir in 2018: A Forever Family: Fostering Change One Child at a Time. Reece cares for their five children at home. They live on a farm in Darnestown, MD with 2 cats, 2 dogs, a bird, 3 goats, several chickens and ducks, and a pig named Penelope.
READ ROB’S FULL BIO
Board of Directors
Jill C. Ross
President
Read Bio Jill C. Ross
President
Tracy Jacobs
Secretary
Read Bio Tracy Jacobs
Secretary
Andrew Lewis
Treasurer
Read Bio Andrew Lewis
Treasurer
Andrew Lewis is an audit partner at KPMG LLP, one of the world’s leading professional services firms providing audit, tax, and advisory firm to many of the world’s largest organizations. He lives with his wife and three children in Maryland.
Charlyne H. McWilliams
Read Bio Charlyne H. McWilliams
Charlyne H. McWilliams is an award-winning communications specialist with more than three decades of experience in public relations and journalism. She specializes in developing strategic communications initiatives that include message development, thought leadership training and media relationships. Charlyne was a board member of a non-profit organization that ignited the love for STEAM (Science Technology, Art and Mathematics) among young black girls. Charlyne resides in Silver Spring with her daughter.
Our Team
Patricia Blake
Director of Operations & Programming
Read Bio Patricia Blake
Director of Operations & Programming
Stepping into the position in May 2024 of the Director of Operations & Programming, Trish manages the coordination of Comfort Cases production and shipping, inventory management and financial operations, as well as directs agency outreach and oversees grants fulfillment. Trish has been a supporter of Comfort Cases since 2014 and served on the board through 2016. Since joining Comfort Cases as a staff member in 2020, Trish has managed donor data IT, grant fulfillment, and financial operations. Before Comfort Cases, she worked in human resources IT, creating and executing data management processes, and supporting migration projects.
Steve Barber
Chief Financial Officer
Read Bio Steve Barber
Chief Financial Officer
Barrie Carr
Community Engagement & Volunteer Coordinator
Read Bio Barrie Carr
Community Engagement & Volunteer Coordinator
Barrie first became involved with Comfort Cases in 2014 when her son Miles was preparing for his Bar Mitzvah with the requirement to participate in a meaningful social action project. Her entire family soon learned Comfort Cases was more than just a project. It became their mission and they joined forces with Comfort Cases to provide dignity, hope and love to youth entering the foster care system. Barrie now oversees the logistics of all off-site events, including school events, faith-based events, birthday celebrations, nonprofit fairs and major corporate engagements. She serves as the point person and liaison for all partnerships and special initiatives, as well as works closely with, and leads our volunteers in our production suite.