In the month of December, Morning Star partnered with Salem Angels to coordinate a gift drive for local foster families. Salem Angels is a ministry that wraps community around those experiencing foster care in our area. Their Love Box program matches groups of volunteers with foster families who have requested support. (We have several Love Box groups at Morning Star!) As the holidays approached, the Salem Angels team informed our staff that there were several foster families in our area who were on a waitlist to be supported, and could really use extra help purchasing gifts for the kids in their home.
The generosity of Morning Star was on display as we collected over 75 gifts and gift certificates for these families! The needs were printed on tags and placed on a Christmas tree in the lobby, and every single tag was taken after only one week. A second round of tags were printed to add more family members to those being blessed.
Brooke Goldsby, Executive Director of Salem Angels, shared with us that the families on the waitlist were blown away by the outpouring of gifts and gift cards. One family in particular, who also attended the Foster Parent Night Out at Morning Star in October, shared with Brooke that they have a young girl in their home who has experienced significant trauma and has extremely challenging behaviors as a result. This foster mom shared that if not for the support through Salem Angels and Morning Star, they are not sure they could have continued fostering her through the holiday season.
Thank you to those who participated in the gift drive, and those who are involved in the Love Box program through Salem Angels!