A few years ago, I was asked by my good friend to help out at a nonprofit organization which supports foster children. I really didn’t know much about the organization, but I did know that I’d be volunteering for their Christmas event which was celebrating the organization’s families and kids. I didn’t hesitate to say yes.
I had such a wonderful experience. I was grateful that I could give back to these kids and share with them my talent for art by helping them create Christmas cards and ornaments; a special handmade token or a keepsake for them and their family to cherish. Since that first FCNI event, I have learned more about the agency and all of the good things that they do to support children in our community, including their family-based programs and Transitional Age Youth programs which help foster youth succeed after they exit the system.
For several years now, my daughter, Piper, and I have not missed an opportunity to volunteer at FCNI’s holiday event and help run its art station. My daughter and I thoroughly enjoy getting to work with these precious kids who just want to be loved and acknowledged. Their little glue-covered hands create beautiful cards and ornaments, and their creative minds express their thoughts so tenderly in every creation. I look forward to this event every year, along with helping to wrap presents and decorate FCNI’s lobby Christmas tree.
My experience of being a single working mom has given me a better understanding of how difficult it is to raise children; and although my circumstances were difficult, it was nothing compared to what some of these other families experience daily. My daughter and I get such a huge sense of gratification from volunteering at the Family Care Network. We both look forward to many more years of participating in this annual event as well as the agency’s other fundraising events; such as cheering on the runners and walkers at Miracle Miles for Kids, and cutting and serving cake or pouring wine at the Benefit for Kids event. We love serving on behalf of FCNI’s kids and their families through these critical events.