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Dear Angels Friend,
In life every little bit helps.
When I speak with someone about becoming a foster parent, the overriding question I am always asked is..."How can you give a child back?" I will be honest, it is not easy and every time I am asked this question it brings back a flood of emotions from when I was an Angels foster parent.
Every foster parent deals with this differently, on his or her own timeline and in his or her own way. Some take weeks and months to grieve and refill themselves with the love and energy to foster again, while others cannot wait but a few hours or days before their next foster child arrives. For me, knowing the tremendous impact we made in the life of our foster child and his family is what gives me warmth and satisfaction today. It wasn't one big thing we did for our foster child and his family, it was a whole series of little things our entire family did each day. It was the little things that collectively turned not only his life around, but also made a positive impact on his biological family.
Losing a loved one is never easy. In our case, we experienced the physical absence of our foster child and the accompanying emotions, but we gained the love and acceptance from an entire new family. A family with a different background than ours, allowing us to learn from a new found friendship. In today's world, we could all benefit from individuals of diverse backgrounds coming together and caring about and for each other.
Earlier this month, a sweet young girl who just had her 6th birthday arrived in our office with a donation of baby clothes. She used the gift money she received at her birthday party to purchase several baby outfits. Her selfless act ensured that a few infants coming into foster care would be provided with proper clothing. Her courage to give to others no matter how big or small the impact is something we all should follow. At Angels, we are so impressed with her compassion and kindness at such a young age.
St. Germaine Children's Charity is another great example of how little things each day can add up to a big overall impact. Each year, 330 members work tirelessly every day, one event and one donation at a time, to help abused and neglected children in San Diego by providing funding and in-kind donations. Since 1984, this has amounted to well over $3 million in funding and nearly $1.7 million in in-kind donations. Angels has been fortunate to be one of their many benefactors and is truly grateful for their commitment to eradicating child abuse. St. Germaine Children's Charity exemplifies what it means to commit to doing the little things that come together to make a tremendous impact.
What small thing will you do today to make a difference?
Sincerely,
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