The Christmas season is drawing near. Remember what Christmas was like when you were young? The family gathered together to give and receive blessings and gifts.
Christmas is a time for love, a time for joy, and a time for family. Not all children this year will take part in a celebration with their own families. Local children who are in foster care need assistance. Children who have been taken out of abusive or neglectful homes or sent away from their family by the Juvenile Court system may be sharing Christmas with a family of strangers. Your help is needed to make sure their needs are met during the holidays. “There are over sixty foster children that have been removed from this county. The number changes often. Some get to eventually go back home but more children usually wind up in care than get to go home,” said Annette Greek, Treasurer of the DeKalb Foster Children’s Fund.
“We’re needing to get money for their Christmas and birthdays and other needs. We’ve done graduation gifts, school sweaters, and football uniforms. We’ve got foster kids who are really active in the school system too and we want to provide the best for them that we can,” said Greek.
As in years past, your assistance is requested with Christmas gifts for local children who are in foster care with the Department of Children’s Services. If you or your organization is willing to help provide funds, please send them to Mrs. Greek. “I collect the money and I send it to the foster parents. Teen age kids (foster children) also get a check,” said Greek.
Since the ages of these foster children vary, a cash donation is preferable to gifts. “We do money for this because a lot of them (foster children) are out of town and it’s just easier on everybody for the money to go instead of trying to get Christmas gifts spread all over the state. We try to do around $150 per child for Christmas. But I try to do for the birthdays too so I need quite a bit (donations) since there are sixty kids and there may be more later in the year. These kids deserve more than we can give them so please help. I know things are slow. Some of the letters (seeking donations) have been out for the last two weeks and so far I have only received one check and it is $450 less than usual (from this donor) so I know I’m going to need small amounts (donations) from more people because I don’t know if the large ones (donations) will be there,” Greek concluded.
You may send your donation to: Annette Greek, in care of F.Z. Webb & Sons Gifts, 400 West Public Square, Smithville TN 37166. For more information call 615-597-4186.
Greek says she will also be glad to accept your cash donation directly at the store.
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