Thank you Women Lawyers Association of Michigan, Macomb Region (WLAM-MAcomb) for hosting this wonderful event for Friends of Foster Kids on May 18, 2016! This year, the WLAM-Macomb Cocktails for a Cause beneficiary was Friends of Foster Kids (FOFK). This year’s Spring Mixer included a Pajama & Tote Bag / Duffel / Backpack Drive for the kids!
Thank you King of Kings for letting us speak at your Aprons with Attitude Brunch on May 14, 2016. We’re so thankful that these wonderful ladies will be donating pillow cases and blankets to Friends of Foster Kids.
Thank you Alex & Ani at Partridge Creek for hosting a fundraiser on Thursday, April 21st in support of Friends of Foster Kids!
Supporters we’re able to shop for upcoming birthdays, Mother’s day, communions and just because! This was a wonderful opportunity to purchase that special gift for those special someones and support a worthy cause! Together, we can make a difference, one child at a time! 15% of all proceeds will be donated to support Friends of Foster Kids, excluding Charity By Design and the Bangle of the Month.
We are excited to announce the winner of the bracelet drawing at our Alex and Ani fundraiser. Congratulations to Diane P. of Clinton Township! Thank you again to all that came out to support us!!
Carrying their belongings from home to home is an unfortunate fact of life for foster children, but thanks to the Optimist Club of St. Clair Shores and Friends of Foster Kids, at least they’ll carry them in style.
As the Christmas holidays approached, club members set out to collect new and “gently used” suitcases and duffle bags so children will have a piece of luggage to call their own.
Optimist Club members and central office administrators from Lakeview Public Schools collected 20 duffle bags and 16 suitcases and turned them over to Friends of Foster Kids.
Since 2007, Friends of Foster Kids has donated over 10,000 presents each holiday season to children who are in foster care, and in need. The charity was founded by Theresa Toia, who’s daughter Jessica is a caseworker for foster children in Macomb County, Michigan. Jessica expressed concern to her mother when her entire caseload of children were not receiving a Christmas for the second year in a row due to the recession, and most had never experienced a Christmas at all. Theresa immediately wanted to find a way to help, and teamed up with her friends to start the charity and begin receiving wishlists from foster kids all over Southeast Michigan.
Solely through donations and volunteering, Friends of Foster Kids has annually helped an estimated 1,000 foster kids each holiday season. While many are infants and children, FoFK has also reached out to teenagers and young adults who have lived their life in foster care and are still struggling to find a place to live and afford everyday essentials.
Caseworkers work with the kids to carefully craft wishlists of three or four presents they’d like the most. Through the goodness of their hearts, volunteers pick up a list and seek out as many presents as they can. Then, the presents are brought to FoFK where volunteers carefully wrap each present and add extra essentials to their stockings like blankets, coats, handmade scarves and more.
Mike Schodowski, our Vice President of Sales, met Theresa earlier this year and was moved after learning about the charity and why she started it. He asked how he could help, and Shelving Inc donated 25 rivet shelving units to store donations and presents at the Friends of Foster Kids headquarters. Theresa was extremely grateful and said keeping everything organized and easy-to-find has been incredibly helpful.
If you’d like to help a foster child in need, volunteer or donate please contact Friends of Foster Kids. They accept donations year-round and try to help just as often, too. Celebrate #GivingTuesday by giving back, too!
Mr. Ledbetter and Coach Steinwascher received this note and photos from “Friends of Foster Kids” aboutFALCON athletes and parents stepping up to help where needed! WELL DONE FALCONS!
Teri & Dave,
We cannot thank you enough for being our Angel Volunteers!I am forever grateful for the last second help that you supplied for us at “Friends of Foster Kids“. We were extremely impressed at the attitudes, work ethic, and respect of the students that helped us on Sat.
The time, energy and enthusiasm shown to the athletes by you, Henry and the parent volunteers shows a wonderful example of compassion and goodwill.
Teri-I have attached a few of the pictures we took, but I’m sure yours are much better. Please make sure these pictures, and the story behind the pictures, are shared with whoever manages the Falcon websites and newspapers.
Gratefully,
Lisa Larson
Friends of Foster Kids
FALCON Parent
The Utica-Shelby Township Kiwanis Club’s 25th annual Bids for Kids charity auction is Dec. 4 at the Palazzo Grande Banquet Hall, 54660 Van Dyke Avenue, Shelby Township. This year the club shares proceeds with Friends of Foster Kids and Play-Place for Autistic Children. Tickets are $65 and include hors d’oeuvres, raw bar, carving and pasta stations, salads and vegetables, dessert table, flavored coffees and premium beverages, silent and live auction, and entertainment. For further information, contact Lester Gilbert at 586-731-7450 or lestergilbert@hotmail.com.
Sterling Heights, MI (WXYZ) – Michigan has more than 3,000 children in the foster care system hoping and waiting to be adopted.
The Macomb County based “Friends of Foster Kids” is trying to support them.
You can help their cause this weekend.
The organization is holding its annual fundraiser Thursday October 29th at the Freedom Hill Banquet Center.
Tickets are $100 and can be purchased by calling (586) 307-GIFT.
More information can be found online: www.FriendsofFosterKids.com
SHELBY TOWNSHIP — The nonprofit group Friends of Foster Kids is looking for volunteers to “adopt” a foster child or two this Christmas by sponsoring their wish lists, wrapping presents, donating or just lending a helping hand where needed.
With about 769 foster children in the Macomb County system and 181 licensed foster homes, Friends of Foster Kids Director Theresa Toia said many children shuffle through temporary foster homes, shelters and group homes, and receive little to nothing for Christmas.
“They’re placed all over, as far out as Saginaw and Kalamazoo, so all of the local foster children are not only removed from their families and everything they know in this world, but now they’re removed from their friends from school, and that’s the sadness of it,” Toia said.
She said many foster kids have few material possessions and that some have never experienced a “proper” Christmas before, so they don’t know what to ask for. She said foster care workers work with their caseloads to identify three or four items they would like and also include the kids’ interests and passions.
“They are victims of abuse and neglect,” Toia said. “They did nothing wrong to be in this situation, and most people forget that.”
Since beginning Friends of Foster Kids in 2007 as a grassroots operation out of her Shelby Township basement after being inspired by her daughter’s caseload of foster kids receiving nothing for Christmas, Toia said the organization has grown exponentially.
She estimated that hundreds of volunteers help about 1,000 foster children each Christmas.
Kristine Powers, the volunteer coordinator with Friends of Foster Kids, said she has been on board since the operation established its roots and that most of the expansion spread through word-of-mouth.
“It’s a really great feeling (to help these kids),” she said. “So many of us have kids of our own. I can’t imagine what these kids have been through.”
Powers said that from Dec. 3-17, Friends of Foster Kids is looking for volunteers to wrap presents at the Foam Factory, located at 23 Mile and Romeo Plank roads in Macomb Township, in two-hour shifts from noon-8 p.m. weekdays and from noon-6 p.m. Saturdays.
To find out more information about Friends of Foster Kids or upcoming fundraisers, visitwww.friendsoffosterkids.org. To get involved with volunteering or assisting financially, email fofkvolunteer@gmail.com.
Friends of Foster Kids 