I love the Holiday Season. From the time I was a child I felt the warm glow of excitement bubbling well before December 1st. I would beg my mom to let me start playing Christmas Carols and decorating and spreading Holiday cheer. My sisters and I would plan, write lists, prepare menus and bake with our mom. We would drink eggnog and wrap ourselves in the warm glow of Holiday planning and the anticipation of parties and presents and family and friends. This was my favourite time of the year.And now I see this joy in my own children. The Holiday parties and food and festivities. The gathering of family. The traditions. What a magical time!
But this time is not magical for everyone. There are so many things we take for granted that others simply can't afford. As we revel in our gifts and feasts others are denied even the simple basics. So this year UrbanMoms is going to do something about it! We have reached out and adopted 5 sisters who have spent their entire lives separated in foster care and have never shared a happy Holiday season together.
When I saw what these girls had on their Wish List I was so humbled and, honestly, I was ashamed. As I planned for a Holiday season filled with fine wine, expensive gifts, and extended family, these 5 sisters wanted only to be together. Their list included plates, cutlery, a table and chairs, a Christmas tree, and food. The very basics that most of us take for granted. The simple things we rarely even acknowledge. That is all these girls wanted.So, this Holiday Season we, at UrbanMoms, will give them that. We will give them the gift of a Christmas dinner together with a tree with all the trimmings and a feast like no other. Because everyone deserves a chance to share the season with those they love without having to worry about how you will afford to feed them.
Want to know more? If you are interested in contributing or in more information, please let me know.
Jen, i was moved to tears when i read about these sisters. i admire you so much for initiating this and i would definitely like to contribute. i will email you now.
WONDERFUL!
Wow. This is a great idea.
Will speak more with you about it this week about contributing.
I think this is an amazing idea that I would love to support. Great idea and thanks for offering it to us.
lovely idea- as I said I have some furniture to donate
This is an excellent project. I can't donate furniture since I'm out of province, but I'll find another way... :)
It's a fantastic thing you're doing. I'd love to help. Let me know what they still need.
This is a wonderful idea. Please let me know where can I send some special homemade gifts to this 5 sisters????? Thanks Agnes
Wonderful thing you are doing Jen. My next door neighbor and her childcare network adopt a family every Christmas. I always donate a ton of stuff to the family and post about it at work and many of my coworkers also help out. It truly is a good thing to do and really hits home to what Christmas is really about and helping your fellow man.
Her family this year just wants clothes and food - really makes you think about how lucky you are and it is a wonderful thing for your kids to take part in too.
Very generous and wonderful idea. I can't imagine not spending at least a part of the holidays with my extended family. Does the furniture mean the girls are getting to live together even after Christmas is over? I would love to contribute. What is needed (other than furniture - I'm too far away).
Please let me know what is still needed as we have some furniture, cutlery, glasses, mixing bowls to donate to them, I might even have some mismatched towels and sheets too. I just live north of you on Brooke Ave so could drop them off whenever =) You can call me as well at 416-932-3837.
Cheers and this is an absolutely wonderful idea!!
I think it's great to get involved with a group of foster kids. They'll appreciate it for the rest of their lives I am sure. I know when I aged out of foster care every package or email from someone who cared was so appreciated. I still email my first mentors to let them know how I am every year.
I always try to educate the public about foster care when I get the chance. The system isn't raising healthy self sufficient kids. Its kicking kids out on the streets, pushing adoptions that don't withhold the test of time, separating families unnecessarily and the results of it is so frustrating. So many of these kids in poverty end up in jail, on welfare or on the streets for extended periods of time, if not for life. It's so sad and for those fiscally minded it's so expensive to funnel so much money into a system thats failing.
We're not powerless though. If all the urban mom's contacted politicians, joined organizations like youth in care canada (if we have american followers foster care alumni of america is our american counter part). We can enact change for these girls....for the hundreds of former foster kids I see in the shelter where I work...and for the thousands in care across Canada...and for the estimated 1 million alumni of foster care across canada
If you guys are interested in foster care in general I urge you to look at youth in care canada's website and consider being a member for the year and look at the projects going on and how you can be involved. I do believe this is one of several civil rights movements occurring in our century and wouldn't it be great to be someone involved in a major civil rights movement.
Merry Christmas
I love what you are doing! For the last two Christmases, I (and many others) have been putting together packages for seniors in a nursing home, all organized by a wonderful woman who works there.
These very individual and personal efforts sometimes mean so much more than just giving a donation to an organization. As a fundraiser, I should probably not say that but particularly at Christmas, it is true.
This Christmas, our 16 year old son and I have our own burden to bear. My husband, his Dad, has been in the hospital for the last two weeks, with the last 10 days in ICU. He is in very critical condition.
Needless to say, there was no real Christmas for us but this has been a lesson for the both of us. On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, my 16 year old son commented that we were not the only ones spending Christmas in the hospital. We talked a lot about fate and circumstances and how lucky we have been in our lives. We also counted our blessings for a wonderfully supportive family.
I hope that this family gets a chance to be together. Can we still help out now in some way, even after Christmas?