SPONSOR A FOSTER

SPONSOR FAQ

What is the goal of this effort?
The goal behind our mission to have fosters sponsored for Christmas is so they can be blessed with the best Christmas possible and unwrap JOY on Christmas morning! We encourage the foster parents to let their fosters dream big for Christmas! If normal kids get to wish big, why can’t they? Let’s offer them the absolute best we can offer!

Can I sponsor more than one foster?
Yes!!! You can sponsor as many as you like to make our efforts even greater! All we ask is that you adhere to the sponsor requirements so every child is equally sponsored.

What are the expectations of a sponsor?
We ask each sponsor to purchase 2-3 outfits, a jacket, pajamas, pair of shoes, underwear/diapers and wipes, socks, at least two of their main wishlist items and a few smaller items from their list and that all of their items are delivered promptly to a drop off location. Please keep open communication with our team and let us know of any challenges or changes to your sponsorship - communication is KEY!

Can I make a monetary donation instead of dropping off gifts?
Absolutely! We have many people who choose to do this as an option instead of dropping gifts. We have people who will take the donation and sponsor as many children as possible or combine it with another monetary donation to purchase a more expensive item from a child’s wish list. 

How much do I need to spend on their gifts?
It is 100% up to you! Last year the average was $250-$500, depending on the age of the child and their wish list.

Can I just buy one gift for them?
Just like the above question, it’s up to you, however please keep in mind that this may likely be the only sponsorship they have for Christmas and not all foster families can afford to purchase a few gifts for all of their fosters and biological children (some homes have 5 or more kids in them!). So, please keep this in mind when choosing to sponsor a child or possibly choosing to sponsor multiple kids - we want to BLESS them!   We ask each sponsor to purchase 2-3 outfits, a jacket, pajamas, pair of shoes, underwear/diapers and wipes, socks, at least two of their main wishlist items and a few smaller items from their list.

What information will I be given about the child? 
You’ll be given their first name, middle name initial and last name initial (in case you want to personalize items), age, clothing sizes (tops, bottoms and shoes), diaper sizes (if applicable) and their wish list with at least 3 items on it. You do not have to purchase every item on their wish list, just what you’re able to do (but the more the merrier). We ask each sponsor to purchase an outfit, jacket, pajamas, pair of shoes, underwear, socks and at least one of their wishlist items and a few toys from their list.

When will I be matched with my foster?
Matches will be made in the month of November and will be completed before the week of Thanksgiving, so if you’re a Black Friday shopper, you’ll be good to go! If you apply after Thanksgiving, you will be matched as quickly as possible.

Can I write a note to the foster or the foster parents? 
Yes! Just include it in a sealed envelope with the gifts. Our foster families loved getting these!

Can I also include a gift card for the foster parents/families when I drop off or the gifts?
Yes! Our foster parents are always grateful for any support and truly cherish it! Gift cards to Target, Walmart, Publix or VISA gift cards are always super helpful!

When are the gifts due?
Please have all gifts dropped off at one of the drop off location (TBA in the sponsor Facebook group) by Sunday, December 3. It would be helpful for you to bring all of their gifts in a plastic bin or a large or x-large moving box (our favorites are Lowes or Home Depot boxes). With hundreds of children being sponsored, it helps our team organizationally if all gifts are contained together.

Can I ship my gifts?
Unlike years past, we are unable to accept mail in donations. More often than we would like, we would receive packages after the pick up event or even after Christmas leaving our team scrambling to shop for kiddos right before our event. We are introducing Wishlists! Each Collective that hosts Christmas for Fosters will have its own wishlists that you can have ship directly to that local Collective! If you’d rather us shop for you so you can fully sponsor a kiddo, please make a monetary donation of $200 or more.

Do I need to wrap the gifts?
No, please drop off all gifts UNWRAPPED. We ask for it to be done like this so our foster families can see before hand what the kiddos will be getting to avoid any duplicates (duplicates are donated back and dispersed to other kiddos). If you would like to donate wrapping paper and tape for the families to grab, they would love it!

Where will drop off locations be?
We will be releasing this information the week of Thanksgiving in our Facebook group. We do our best to offer as many times and locations as possible. Thank you for sometimes going out of your way to make it to a drop off location! Please use our downloadable drop off label. If you have to use several boxes or have larger items that are already in a box, please label each one.