By Fox23.com News Staff
TULSA, Okla. — Fostering Connections held its Fostering Joy holiday program on Thursday, ensuring every child in out-of-home care has gifts to open during the holidays.
The nonprofit said the holidays can be an emotional time for children in care and Fostering Joy is here to make sure they feel remembered and celebrated.
Each year, Fostering Connections matches children with community sponsors who shop for personalized gifts valued between $75 and $150. Sponsors then purchase items based on each child’s wish list.
The gifts were distributed on Thursday to ensure families have them in time for the holidays.
Margaret Wish, executive director of Fostering Connections, spoke on the impact of the event.
“We’re helping kiddos that don’t have a say in the situation that they’re in. Just being able to bring a little of magic of the holidays to them. One of my staff members said just the other day that we’re making sure that Santa finds them and so, that’s why we’re here,” said Wish.
Fostering Joy is open to children in foster care, kinship placement, guardianship or trial reunification across Oklahoma. Families must be formally connected to the child welfare system, the nonprofit said.
“We serve five mobile counties as well and so we completed those distribution events over the past two days. I didn’t get to go, but my staff, they were able to go and help deliver those gifts. The reception from everybody who hosted us for the event, to the families that came and picked up were just so grateful that they were able to receive gifts, and that we were able to help, and that’s what we’re here for, just to be a support and to help those families and those children,” said Wish.
Fostering Connections said its goal is to make sure every child feels seen, valued and celebrated during the holidays.
You can find more information on Fostering Joy by clicking here.
