TAMPA, Fla — Sarah Weaver is a Tampa mom teaming up with the community to make sure kids in foster care get the Christmas experience they deserve.
What started as a passion project is now called "Christmas For Fosters.” It gives people the chance to sponsor a child and help foster parents with any financial burden this holiday season.
“I think things have been so rough for individuals and for families that they just are looking for a way to be a part of something bigger than themselves. And this is a great opportunity to do that because you're meeting those practical and tangible needs of foster children and foster families,” Sarah Weaver said.
People who are interested in being sponsors will be matched with a child, given their full profile, and sent a wish-list from their foster parents. There is also an option to make a monetary donation.
“I think as foster parents, it's really exciting to know you have people coming around you and community helping and supporting your family, so that it's not solely your family, buying gifts for the child,” Liz Aguero Foster Parent Coordinator said.
Christina Eben is a foster parent and she says that some kids have never celebrated Christmas before.
“Some of them are experiencing it for the first time in a family setting in years. And then others, you know, that have recently been removed. It's just that relief of normalcy for them to wake up and it's Christmas morning," Eben explained. "And for that moment in time, they forget the reality of you know where they are at."
Weaver and her husband have been foster parents since May 2016. They realized that Christmas can be expensive and her biggest goal was to make sure the kids have a Christmas they deserve.
Back in 2017, she and her husband created #ChristmasForFosters. That year, 96 foster children were sponsored. This year they are looking at 319 sponsors and more than 430 kids to assist this holiday season-- surpassing their goal of 275 foster children.
“So it's really cool to see everybody come together, to wrap around these families to love on them. And let them know that they are seen because a lot of times, honestly foster parents especially they don't feel seen,” Weaver said.
Weaver says that the event is focused on the children but also focusing on loving the foster families as well.
“You know, it's a huge encouragement for them to keep pressing on and to keep continuing to foster,” Weaver said. “These types of ways of wrapping around those families is huge. It is literally sometimes what keeps us going.”
Their pick-up event is Friday, December 11. You can still sign up to be a monetary sponsor. Check out their website for more information.
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