Merry Christmas for foster children

[zoeyann]

I read the story about how the company providing gifts backed out. I am so glad this worked out for the children.

December 01. 2005 12:45PM

Local foster children to have a good Christmas
By LAURA McKNIGHT
The Courier



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HOUMA -- Local foster children will get even more toys than planned Saturday after dozens of businesses and residents responded to a last-minute plea for help from organizers of a Christmas party for the youngsters.

Leaders of the Bayoulands Adoptive and Foster Parents Association secured a sponsor for the organization’s first Christmas party months ago, but the business retracted its offer two weeks ago. The company had agreed to buy gifts for the children, planning to spend about $50 on each child, said Tracy Collins, vice president of the group.

Though the company gave no reason for backing out, Collins said she thinks the hurricanes caused financial problems that prevented the business from fulfilling its commitment.

This left the association in a race to supply gifts for the 75 to 100 children expected at Saturday’s party. A story in The Courier about the group’s plight drew so much attention to the party, organizers now expect even more foster children from Terrebonne, Lafourche and Assumption parishes to attend.

But the last four days’ worth of donations will more than cover the party-goers’ wish lists, including gifts for additional children, Collins said.

"They’re going to have a really good Christmas," said Michele Peters, treasurer for the association.

Since the Sunday article, businesses and residents from Terrebonne and Lafourche have bombarded the group with toys and money for toys, said the group’s president, Cyndi Pellegrin. The donations exceeded the children’s Christmas lists, Pellegrin said.

"It was amazing," said Collins. Community members "opened their hearts to foster children," she said.

The call for donations even sparked interest in foster parenting, with some community members asking how to become foster parents, she said.

The group received such a large response that by Wednesday afternoon leaders began directing donors to give to other toy drives and holiday collections instead.

"Our kids will be taken care of," said Collins.

"Everybody’s been very generous," added Pellegrin. "I’m sure the kids are going to be real happy with it."

A lot of people donated because they have known foster children, said Pellegrin.

Other donors were once foster children themselves "so they know what it’s like not to have," said Collins. "These kids will have this year."

Extra gifts will go to other local families in need, including those without foster children, Collins said.

Bayoulands Adoptive and Foster Parents Association is a relatively new nonprofit organization, formed in February by a group of local foster parents. The group works with the state Office of Community Services to offer support, guidance and resources to families with adopted or foster children. About 100 families in the three parishes have foster children. About 15 of those families are active in the organization, which meets monthly on the second floor of Creole Lanes in Houma.

Most of the children attending the upcoming party live in group homes or shelters and have no family to provide for them during the holidays, said Collins, adding that "this may be their only Santa."

The group began organizing the party in July to let the children know they’re important, said Pellegrin, a foster parent. Interacting with other foster or adopted children helps them deal with family struggles.

Especially after the stress of the hurricanes, Collins said, the group wants the children to have a fun holiday. Some foster families lost everything in Hurricane Rita.

"Now they’re going to get nice toys and have a nice Christmas," Collins said.

The organization’s leaders plan to make the party an annual event.

[arkess7]

Thats is so awesome!!! Every holiday season I help the needy and less fortunate......Thanksgiving I donate food......and every Christmas (which I am about to do this week ) I go through all my 5 year old daughters toys and clothes and give them to a charity.......I also will buy a toy for the local fund raisers around here.....its the thought and the gift of giving that makes me feel good!!!

[cajungal]

I want to go buy some toys that I can donate to the kids who lost everything from Hurricane Katrina. Lots of these kids lost all their toys and games and the parents do not have enough money to replace them. I want them to have a nice Christmas and have their lives get back to normal. They have plenty of kids here in my own parish (Terrebonne) who lost all their toys to the flooding from Hurricane Rita.