-Most of us think of the holidays as a time of joy, a season for making wonderful memories with family, friends, and loved ones.
But for children in foster care, the holidays are often a painful and difficult time.
Holidays and Children in Foster Care
In the holidays and all year round, children of foster care often experience complex feelings of grief, loneliness, frustration, and confusion. Even if they experienced abuse or neglect, many children simply want to be able to go home.
Away from their biological families, and often amid uncertainty, trauma, and anxiety, children in the foster care system are far from “home for the holidays.”
How You Can Help Children of Foster Care this Holiday Season
It’s heartbreaking to consider the incredible trials children face in foster care, but it can also be a catalyst for action. We may not be able to take away all their troubles, but there are certainly ways in which we can be a force for good in the lives of children within the foster community.
Embrace the Spirit of Giving
There’s no doubt that the true magic of the holiday season lies in the act of giving. When you can positively impact someone’s life, that is one of the purest and most powerful forms of joy there is.
Arizona Friends of Foster Children Foundation considers it an incredible honor to be able to serve children within our state’s foster care system. 85-percent of every donation goes directly towards our programs, with the remaining 15-percent used for fundraising management and administration.
Make a Difference in Arizona’s Foster Community
At AFFCF, we are deeply appreciative of each and every donation. And whether your contribution is large or small, it has the power to transform a youth’s life for the better.
Here are just a few examples of what your donation could mean for an Arizona child:
- A $50 donation could fund a child’s very first visit to the Phoenix Zoo, inspiring a newfound passion for animals and leading them to a future career as a veterinarian.
- A $100 donation can purchase specialized items for children with special needs in foster care, like a weighted blanket that allows them to finally feel safe and secure enough to sleep at night.
- A $200 donation can buy a child the new, properly-fitting clothing they’ve never had before, giving them a new sense of self-confidence.
- A $500 donation can pay for texts books for a student with a foster care background who is attenting a post-secondary institution.
- A $1,000 donation funds six full months of services for a Keys to Success participant, which can be the support they need to secure a job they love and achieve independence as a young adult.
Your Donation May Qualify You for an Arizona Tax Credit
The Arizona Foster Tax Care Credit allows qualifying donors to receive a dollar-for-dollar state tax credit for contributions made to the AFFCF. Presently, individuals can be eligible for a credit of up to $526, while joint filers may be able to receive up to $1,051.
AFFCF Post-Secondary Scholarship
Our scholarship program opens the door to post-secondary education, something that is inaccessible for so many children from foster care. Many obstacles can prevent a young adult from pursuing a college education after foster care, but a scholarship can be the key to unlocking a new future and breaking generational cycles of poverty, abuse, addiction, and crime.
Focus Forward Fund
Without a family support network to fall back on, young adults who have aged out of foster care can see their entire lives derailed by something as seemingly simple as an expensive car repair. Our Focus Forward Fund is designed to provide financial support to students facing emergency expenses, so they have the means to continue their education and keep their dreams within sight.
Keys to Success
When a child in foster care reaches the age of 18, they are automatically considered an adult – and they immediately “age out” of the foster care system.
Our Keys to Success program provides career guidance, education support, workforce development services and critical life skills training and resources to young people ages 16 to 26. These goal of these services is to help young adults aging out of foster care achieve financial and personal freedom.
Bring Joy to a Child’s Holiday by Supporting AFFCF
Every child deserves to feel safe, cared for, and happy during the holiday season, and your donations to AFFCF help make that possible for children in Arizona foster care. Make a difference in a young person’s life and extend a helping hand to those that need it most – there’s no better time than the holidays.
Celebrate the true meaning of the holidays and brighten a child’s holiday season by making a donation to our organization online or over the phone at 602.252.9445.
Image Source: Evgeny Atamanenko / Shutterstock