One of our favorite parts of organizing Fostering Christmas is the ripple effect it creates in our community. We are forever humbled by the thanks we receive from our recipients and the social workers we coordinate with. But we firmly believe it’s our volunteers and donors — we like to call them Santa’s Helpers! — who get some of the biggest benefits.
One Newsletter Pro employee (we’ll call her “Sara”) experienced that firsthand when she began volunteering with Fostering Christmas when she started at Newsletter Pro 4 years ago. (We get many of our volunteers and donors from our founder Shaun Buck’s company, Newsletter Pro!) To this day, Sara is humbled that many of the kids just want clothing like socks, shirts, or pants, or they want a backpack or new pencils for school.
“These are more than just gifts,” Sara says. “They are a physical representation of a child knowing they are not alone and that there are people out there looking out for them during quite possibly the scariest time in their life.”
As that message became more apparent to Sara, she decided Fostering Christmas was a great learning opportunity for her own child.
“I initially used Fostering Christmas as an opportunity to show my daughter the importance of giving,” Sara explains. “When choosing a child to shop for, I chose a child close to my daughter's age, and I had her help me pick out all of the gifts. I explained to her the importance of what we were doing, and it really helped her get into the Christmas spirit.”
The second-year Sara participated in Fostering Christmas, she invited more of her family members to get involved, and today, Fostering Christmas has become a tradition for her entire family! The participation and enthusiasm to give back from her family and her coworkers make Sara excited every year.
“For me, the Christmas season is about making sure those closest to me are provided for and know how much I love them,” she says. “The other part of the season is all about pitching in to help anyone in need. Especially these last 2 years, people need to know they are not alone, so I have broadened my involvement with nonprofit organizations working to provide for families and children in need, and Fostering Christmas is one of the organizations I love to work with to do this.”
As she continues the work she does with Fostering Christmas, Sara says she has seen firsthand just how impactful the gifts are for children every year. From the gratitude Fostering Christmas receives from children and social workers to the lessons her own family learns, Sara finds tremendous value.
To learn more about Fostering Christmas and experience the joy Sara and her family have each year, click here.
You can also help these kids in a bigger way if you have the means. The Idaho Department of Health & Welfare is badly in need of foster parents. Click here to learn more about the process and how to apply.