CLEVELAND — Opening presents during the holidays, whether it’s Christmas, Hanukkah or Kwanzaa, is a December tradition that many people, especially kids, look forward to. But not every child is that fortunate.
“You look at your kids and how fortunate they are, right, to get multiple gifts, if you know, if you’re in a position to do so,” said Dionna Gore, a board member and volunteer with the nonprofit Fostering Hope. “On Christmas morning, every kid deserves an opportunity to, you know, have gifts. And this is the way that at a certain age, they feel loved, right?”
About 14,000 children in Ohio are in foster care, according to Fostering Hope, with some children some living in group homes and others with temporary families.
Dionna Gore, a board member and volunteer with the nonprofit Fostering Hope. (Spectrum News 1/Taylor Bruck)
To Gore, Fostering Hope’s mission is near and dear to her heart. Her two younger brothers were in foster care for more than 10 years and in 2021, her family adopted them. Gore became a volunteer with the nonprofit earlier this year, and quickly a board member. Fostering Hope aims to bring hope and joy to children in foster care throughout northeast Ohio. They want to connect and enrich their lives with unique experiences and healing. Every year volunteers wrap hundreds of gifts for them to open during the holidays.
“To be able to provide just a small token, if you will, of a gift, presents, love, you know, attention. It goes a long way. Some of these kids will remember this for a lifetime. It’s life changing,” Gore said. “I want to see other kids have an opportunity to be able to thrive, even if they’re not in an adoptive situation, with receiving love, receiving the attention and also feeling like they are seen and heard.”
Karen Carter is the executive director of the nonproft. She said on average a child moves around seven times within their foster care experience.
Karen Carter, executive director of Fostering Hope. (Spectrum News 1/Taylor Bruck)
“We asked them really specifically, what do they want for Christmas or the holidays? And that’s really important because with all the moving that kids in foster care do, a lot of times they’ve never been asked what toy would you like? Or what gift would you really want? So we take the time to ask them,” Carter said.
In Cuyahoga County, Carter said there are more than 2,500 kids in foster care. This year they’re able to fullfill wishlists of about 800 of those kids, with gifts and stockings combined. All items were donated by companies and individuals. She said the program continues to grow each year.
“With every program we do, every gift we give, we want to show kids that there are people who care, who are kind and who really want to listen to them and respect who they are as an individual.”
Their goal is to make sure the children know that while they wait to find the love of a permanent family, they do still have the love of a big community.
Fostering Hope is always in need of volunteers and donations. For more information, visit here.
