Our Foster Kids
Christmas Program
Our Foster Kids
Christmas Program
YOUR generous donations make this magical season possible for hundreds of kids in the Josephine County foster care system.
We All Have the Power to Make a Child’s Christmas a Little Bit Brighter!
Thousands of gifts, hundreds of children, dozens of volunteers, and one “Santa Claus”
This is what it takes to make sure that the foster children in Josephine County get a stellar Christmas despite the fact that they are separated from what they know at a time when everyone is talking about “being with family”.
We know a few gifts can’t replace the love of a parent or quality time spent with family but it most certainly CAN mean that for a few hours on Christmas day each foster child feels like they are “normal” at their foster home.
All year, our executive director, Bea Ryan, is always working behind the scenes preparing for our annual Christmas gift-giving program. It goes into full time mode just before Thanksgiving and it looks WAY easier than it is. It is no easy feat to collect, sort, bag, and deliver literally thousands of gifts. But thanks to the generosity of our community (providing gifts) and our volunteers (sorting and bagging gifts) and our “Santa” (delivering gifts), each Christmas since our first in 2006 the need has grown.
A representative of Our Foster Kids delivers Christmas Angel trees to about a dozen local businesses. Each tree is hung with “angel tags” printed with the first name and age of a foster child and, when ever possible, a wishlist with 2-3 items that the child would love to receive. The good citizens of our community can choose one or more angel tags and provide a gift (or sometimes an entire wishlist is taken care of). There are wrapped barrels at each tree where the gifts are placed before they are collected by another OFK “elf”.
Back at Santa’s headquarters, the gifts are collected, sorted, and prepared for delivery to the case worker serving each foster child. Each bag is filled with 4-6 gifts plus some stocking stuffer items as well as a beautiful handmade quilt or blanket made especially for Our Foster Kids by local crafters and artisans.
Even if all the angel tags are not pulled and fulfilled, we are able to put together a large bag of gifts for each child because, throughout the entire year, Bea/Santa is working to fill our toy and gift coffers ensuring that each and every child will receive multiple gifts. Large donations are sometimes provided and always welcomed. Our goal is to provide each child 10+ years of age with a new piece of electronic equipment and a few gift cards to local stores.
2019 Angel Trees
You can find Angel Trees at:
- Any Grants Pass First Interstate Bank
- Any Grants Pass Umpqua Bank
- Any Grants Pass Peoples Bank
- Any Grants Pass Key Bank
- Walmart Vision Center
- Walmart Customer Service
- Josephine County Sheriff’s office
- The Venutti Group
- Big Lots
- Sears
2019 Angel Trees
You can find Angel Trees at:
- Any Grants Pass First Interstate Bank
- Any Grants Pass Umpqua Bank
- Any Grants Pass Peoples Bank
- Any Grants Pass Key Bank
- Walmart Vision Center
- Walmart Customer Service
- Josephine County Sheriff’s office
- The Venutti Group
- Big Lots
- Sears
Volunteer
At Christmas, we need helpers during the day or evening hours 5-7 days a week. If you, or a group you represent or manage, would like to volunteer there is sure to be a time and place where a couple of hours on your part will bring joy to a child for possibly even a whole year or more!
Donate
Having a successful Christmas means being diligent all year about collecting gifts and securing donations. Maybe your schedule doesn’t allow you the time to volunteer but you still want to contribute to the joy of a child, your donation of a gift or cash is gratefully accepted.
Here’s How You Can Help
They say it takes a village to raise a child. This is especially true for the most vulnerable of the children in our community–foster children. The mission of Our Foster Kids is simply to enhance the life of each foster child in our community by addressing some of their unfunded needs. Additionally, we will address the needs of ANY child we can with the intent of promoting self-esteem so that they may grow to reach their fullest potential.
In this endeavor, we welcome support from caring community members like you. Here are a few more ways that you can help us build a better community for everyone starting with our children.
Bottle Drop
Our Foster Kids has a non-profit account at Bottle Drop. During the holidays or all year long, you can help Our Foster Kids by filling a Bottle Drop bag with our sticker on it. You can either drop it off at the Bottle Drop location of your choice or we can pick it up. We’ll even send you the bags and stickers!
Click the button below to send us an email and we’ll hook you up with bags for your bottles and cans!
Monetary Donations
Monetary donations are always welcome. Seasonal and one-time donations help provide for specific needs for foster children.
Monthly and support is appreciated to ensure the needs of the foster children are met on an on-going basis. The needs don’t go away–foster kids always need additional support.
Our team is here to make sure that they get what they need that is not necessarily covered by DHS or their foster parents.
You can mail your check or money order to Our Foster Kids at
PO Box 2594
Grants Pass OR 97528
You can also click the link below to use your credit or debit card to make a one-time or on-going donation.
Keep in the loop of all the great things that are going on from month to month at Our Foster Kids. We won’t bombard your inbox every week but we will keep you informed about our important and upcoming events. PLUS, as a subscriber, you will get first dibs on VIP tickets to our amazing fund-raiser events!