Effingham, IL-(Effingham Radio)- For many children in foster care, the holiday season can pass without the traditions or gifts that make this time of year feel special. That’s why Caritas Family Solutions is inviting the community to make a difference by sponsoring a child through its annual Secret Santa program, which helps provide gifts and holiday joy to more than 1,700 foster children throughout the Metro East and Southern Illinois.
The Secret Santa program provides tags with a Christmas wish list for every foster child in their care, as well as for families served through its Intact Family Services program. Each list details the type of gifts the child would like to receive. Businesses interested in helping can also sponsor an entire list of children, make a monetary donation, host a toy drive, or offer their employees an Angel Tree, where they can choose Secret Santa tags.
“We want every child in our care to experience the joy of holiday traditions that so many of us have been fortunate to remember,” said Ashlee Lambert, Executive Director of Development at Caritas Family Solutions. “Through our Secret Santa program, donations not only provide gifts for children in foster care but also support the foster parents who open their homes and hearts to make those moments possible.”
The Secret Santa program is designed not only to bring holiday cheer but also to support the vital programs and services that Caritas provides to families throughout the year. The nonprofit’s services include pregnancy care for women, foster care, adoption, counseling, community family stabilization for families experiencing homelessness and independent living for adults with disabilities among other service lines.
“We’ve had our Secret Santa program for more than 20 years now and it’s incredible to think about the thousands of lives that have been touched by it,” Lambert said. “One of the other great things about this program is that it helps provide year-round support for all of the programming and services we offer and strengthens our ability to create loving, stable homes for those we serve. Any amount of support, whether it’s time, clothing, or money, can drastically change a life.”
Caritas is always looking for volunteers, staff and donations to help support its mission. For additional information on how you can help with the Secret Santa program, visit caritasfamilysolutions.org/secretsanta.
Founded in 1947, Caritas Family Solutions is a nonprofit social service agency whose mission is to strengthen the social and emotional well-being of individuals and families in order to create healthy relationships, loving homes, and strong communities. Services include adoption, foster care, intact families, counseling, residential treatment for children healing from abuse and/or neglect, youth emergency shelter, substance use treatment, independent living and employment services for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (CILA), and mental health housing and supportive services. Caritas serves more than 6,500 individuals annually across Southern Illinois from offices located in Belleville, Carterville, Mount Vernon, Waterloo, Olney, Glen Carbon, Alton, and Effingham, as well as satellite locations in Highland and Sparta. For additional information, visit caritasfamilysolutions.org.
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