The Christmas party is in full swing.
The tree is decorated with shining lights and sparkling ornaments. Platters of delicious food are spread out over a seasonal tablecloth and stacks of presents are ready to be opened. Clowns, crafts, and cookie decorating are stationed around the room for children to enjoy. Suddenly, Jennifer Gray, the founder of the Foster Care Clothing Closet, is heard on the microphone.
"Alright boys and girls. We have a special surprise for you all outside!"
Kids of all ages scramble to the backdoor, looking through the glass. One little boy, between the ages of five and seven, looks at a volunteer with excited eyes.
"Is it Santa Claus? Is Santa Claus here?" He seems almost out of breath from anticipation. The volunteer nods. "I believe so," she tells him with a smile. The little boy's face breaks into a 1,000 watt smile. He grabs her hand.
"I've never seen Santa Claus before!"
The volunteer's heart seizes. Hasn't every child seen Santa Claus at least once---in the mall, at a party, or on the street corner?
This child--- a foster child--- has not seen Santa Claus before, but he will today.
When I was growing up, my parents always expressed to me the importance of giving back to the community and caring for those less fortunate. Due to my upbringing, volunteering has become a passion of mine.
This year, I have had the incredible opportunity to work with the Foster Care Clothing Closet, a local non-profit resource for foster families and children all over the state. Recently, the FCCC held it's second annual Christmas party.
As the craft leader, I was ready for finger paint smears and sticky glue drops. However, I was not prepared for the way those precious children would pull at my heart.
Children of all ages---from sweet-smelling infants to six foot tall teenagers--- made their way through the different activities and ended up at the arts and crafts table. As we helped the kids paint snowman families and red-nosed reindeer, they opened up to us about their lives unprompted.
I learned not only names, but birthdays, school grades, favorite colors, and Christmas wishes. I learned which child wants to be an "army man" and which wants to be a singer.
After these precious children told us about themselves and left the table, another volunteer looked at me with her eyes full of emotion.
"They're such normal kids."
She is completely right.
Despite the backgrounds of these children, they are completely normal. They get excited over Christmas presents and love to play games. They want to decorate cookies and eat candy canes. They want to see Santa Claus.
Most importantly, these children want a stable, loving home.
While not everyone is called to foster or adopt these children, there are ways to get involved to help change a child's life. Helping out at events such as this is one way.
The normalcy of a Christmas party gives these children a chance to have fun just like other kids. While at the party, I saw kids filling up on sugar, laughing, playing with toys, and showing the adults what Santa had brought. While they were having fun, they weren't thinking "I'm a foster child."
They were thinking "This is fun!"
I am so grateful that I got the opportunity to help organize this Christmas party held by the Foster Care Clothing Closet. The women in charge of the operation are amazing and have big hearts. They each have the goal to improve the lives of foster children in any way they can and it was an honor to be a part of it. The Foster Care Clothing Closet needs volunteers throughout the year---not just at Christmas. If you would like more information on how to help foster children in our area, please contact Jennifer Gray at the Foster Care Clothing Closet.
