Ahh, autumn. The time of year when temps in the 70's and snow can come at any time. I hope we get some more warm weather days in a few weeks because the leaves on our trees have barely begun to fall. It would be a shame if our boys don't get a chance to dive into the leaves in some nice weather.
We bought the boys some new snow boots just the other day. We still aren't fully covered with coats, gloves, and hats. Perhaps the fact that KVC still hasn't given us a clothing voucher over four months after our foster kids arrived has something to do with it. And to think these are the folks who are expected to take on even more responsibilities come January 1. We aren't the only ones who are unhappy. Add folks like Lancaster County Attorney Gary Lacey, Nebraska Appleseed, and the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska to the long list of people and organizations who think HHS is nuts.
But I digress. The fact is, our foster kids don't have much clothing thanks in part to the fact that we can't get something as simple as a clothing voucher from KVC. The other day our 8 year-old wore a tattered pair of sweat pants with a giant hole in one leg to school. It was a pretty sorry sight, and it's not like a boy in his position needs to give the kids at school more reasons to see him as "different". That's not to say his entire wardrobe is horrible, but his options are thin -- literally -- and his winter clothes are minimal. Fortunately our 3 year-old is about the same size as our son, so those two share most everything. And those two dress very nicely thanks to the generosity of my fashion-conscious cousin down in Louisiana who ships us hand-me-downs every couple months. (No, we didn't buy all those fancy name-brand clothes you see them running around in!)
Many foster kids are in the same position as our 8 year-old. And most foster parents are in the same position as us: ready and willing to buy clothes, but the daily stipend we receive just isn't enough to rush out and purchase a decent wardrobe all at once. That's where I hope some of you will step in. In Lincoln there's an organization called the Foster Care Closet (Facebook). They accept clothing donations for youth all the way up to age 19. If you have any clothes sitting around the house for any age kid, please consider donating them. That includes not just the usual pants and shirts, but also shoes, coats ... the works.
And although the timing of this plea implies this is some kind of holiday-themed request, I assure you it is not. There is a year-round, ongoing need for nice clothing for these kids who often come into foster homes with nothing more than the pajamas on their back. Often not so much as a toothbrush or extra underwear comes with them.
Thanks folks! And no worries if you can't help this time around, hopefully you can find an opportunity to chip in somewhere else.
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Thank you very much for posting this!
I have some spare items that I was going to give to the Goodwill - all clean and wearable. I will donate them to the Foster Care Closet instead.
I never knew such an organization existed.
I didn’t know they existed either. We just donated a bunch of stuff to Goodwill. Teen-appropriate stuff my daughter grew out of. We will donate to Foster Care Closet next time.
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