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Continuing 33 Years of Fulfilling Holiday Wishes
Arcadia Weekly Dec 10, 2009
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Sugar Plum Tree is the most popular and uplifting of all the Friends of Foster Children (FOFC) programs. Volunteer members are optimistic that as in years past shoppers at Westfield Santa Anita Mall will be generous in to helping the organization fulfill holiday wishes. Many holiday shoppers have included a stop at the Sugar Plum Trees located near the entrance to Nordstrom’s on the mall floor in their traditional activities. The trees are decorated with tags listing gift wishes from children in the local foster care system as well as the organizations which support them.
Chairman Gigi Andrew said, “Our guest speaker at the October 10 meeting was Kim Weleba, the head nurse at Hillsides facility. She offered thanks and appreciation for the continuous contributions FOFC gives and the positive impact we have on the children. Even one filled Christmas wish to a child who has never had a gift lets that child know someone cares.”
Kick-off for 2009 will be on Friday, November 27 and will continue through Wednesday, December 16. Trees are adorned with “wish tags” for foster children, emancipated youth, foster care facilities and FOFC committees. Volunteer “tree-sitters” will be on hand to check out tags, check in gifts and answer questions from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sundays. Gifts are collected twice a day, sorted and ultimately delivered before the holidays to the 12 San Gabriel Valley facilities supported by FOFC.
Children at the following residential treatment centers are represented on the trees: Bienvenidos Children’s Center, Ettie Lee Youth and Family Services, Helen Evans Home, Hillsides, Hope House for the Multiple-Handicapped, LeRoy Haynes Center, Rosemary Children’s Services, Hathaway-Sycamores and Trinity Children & Family Service—El Monte, as well as emancipated youth at Youth Moving On and Pasadena Alumni Support Center.
In addition to FOFC members and mall shoppers, many groups support the program by fulfilling wishes and sitting at the “Sugar Plum Tree” including National Charity League Pasadena, Theta Chi Epsilon Sorority, Altrusas, Soroptomists and boy scout troops to name a few.
If you would like to make a foster child’s holiday wish come true, please stop by the Sugar Plum Trees and choose a tag from the trees. If you are too busy to shop you can make a cash donation and FOFC will do the shopping for you.
For more information about Sugar Plum and Friends of Foster Children please call 626-445-4542 or send an email to FOFC@earthlink.net.
