“I hope you know that no matter how small or big the donation, you have made a huge difference in my life this holiday season. I want to express how important this gift was for me because I am a young adult trying to support myself. Your kindness towards me has influenced me to want to do the same thing in the future for foster youths and young adults who have aged out of the foster care system. I hope that more youths can experience what I have with you in future years to come!”
It’s truly heartwarming to see how these gifts impact a child’s life. We received a letter from an anonymous beneficiary who is extremely grateful for their gift, along with the gifts other children received. This shows that although the Christmas season may be over, there are tons of things to be merry about!
Each year since 2014, Newsletter Pro’s nonprofit Fostering Christmas collects gifts and donations for foster children. Idaho is facing a shortage of foster homes as more children go into the foster care system. When these children enter the system after Thanksgiving, they are ineligible for holiday donor lists due to timing. We believe all children deserve to have a special Christmas, and with the help of our community and individuals from all over the world, we were able to give gifts to so many children in 2021.
The Vision Of Fostering Christmas Reached Tons Of People
The vice president of Fostering Christmas, Karli Lee, was ecstatic about the love, support, and impact Fostering Christmas had this year.
“Firstly, I am so incredibly grateful for the outpouring of love and support for Fostering Christmas,” Lee says. “This organization is so near and dear to my heart, and to see how tenderly our purpose touched the hearts of our community brought me to tears several times this season. I feel like Christmas magic is officially alive and well!”
This year, we fulfilled 328 holiday wish lists for children. We also purchased more than 1,300 gifts and received $8,098 in gift card donations.* With your help, we received more donations than we ever have! Our community stepped up and provided gifts for so many children. We couldn’t have done this without you.
Fostering Christmas made local news on KTVB, which allowed us to reach even more people who wanted to donate. We fulfilled 145 wish lists with the help of KTVB. The nonprofit was also in newspapers, and we even made it to a Reddit thread! Because of this, we got donations from all around the world. Some donations even came all the way from Sweden. It’s incredible to see people come together to make Christmas special for our region’s children.
The Positive Impact Fostering Christmas Has On Others
Along with the number of new donors, we had multiple returning donors from Idaho. Since 2016, Christina Bodily and her family have saved Christmas for dozens of children. Her family enjoys getting gifts for all last-minute kids who enter the system, especially teenagers who are often left out. Giving back has always been a part of Bodily’s childhood, and she is helping her family continue that legacy by donating to Fostering Christmas.
Another seasoned volunteer we have is Demetria Edge and her husband. They decided Christmas would be more special if they gave gifts to others. Edge learned about Fostering Christmas through her Idaho-based job. Since their first year as volunteers, Edge and her husband have continued to donate and help with Fostering Christmas each year. They have found inspiration and fulfillment, as have many of our other donors, while helping with the nonprofit.
Your donations and volunteer work, like the commitment of Edge, Bodily, and their families, have brought so much joy to several children and social workers! Lee mentioned that some social workers wish they could provide more to the children they look after. For instance, it’s very difficult for them to see these children upset about not seeing their biological parents when they don’t attend their planned visits.
“They had tears in their eyes as they explained how gut-wrenching it is to watch the kids’ shoulders slowly curl down as they lose hope,” Lee says. “But with the help of Fostering Christmas, we’re able to bring these kids some joy and happiness.”
Future Plans For Fostering Christmas
When talking about the future of Fostering Christmas, Lee is excited about what comes next.
“I have so many more plans for the future as we continue to grow,” Lee says. Ultimately the goal is to support these kids as a community in a way that they may never have experienced. To give them the kind of encouragement and resources that will level the playing field and give them the best chance for a successful, happy life.”
None of this would be possible if it weren’t for all of our amazing volunteers and donors. Thank you for providing these children with gifts that they will treasure forever. You all have made such a significant impact on their lives. Fostering Christmas is looking forward to the future and being able to help more children. It’s inspiring to see communities come together for such a special cause, whether locally or internationally.
We are preparing for 2022! If you would like to help or learn more about Fostering Christmas, visit FosteringChristmas.org.
*All donations are used to purchase Christmas gifts.
