Friends of Foster Children Celebrates Christmas in July

By Candyce Columbus

Friends of Foster Children (FOFC) Sugar Plum (SP) has a remarkable track record. Since the program began 34 years ago they have collected over 160,000 holiday gifts for children in the San Gabriel Valley foster care system and the facilities that support them.
The all-volunteer organization has 80 active members 29 of whom met on Saturday, July 24 in the Altadena home of Charleen Albee to kick off Sugar Plum 2010 by preparing the gift wish tags that will adorn the Christmas trees this year beginning the day after Thanksgiving, Friday, November 26. The trees will be located in the Nordstrom’s wing of Westfield Santa Anita mall and volunteers will sit at the trees during the hours the mall is open November 26 through December 15. Generous shoppers choose tags off the trees, purchase one or more of the gifts listed and return them unwrapped before December 15.
“We’re hoping to fulfill 5,300 gift wishes this year,” explains SP Chair Gigi Andrew. She adds, “The facilities we will help this year include Bienvenidos Childrens Center, Ettie Lee Youth and Family Services, LeRoy Haynes Center, Hillsides, Rosemary Children’s Services, Trinity Children & Family Services, Youth Moving On, Hathaway-Sycamores Child and Family Services, Pasadena Alumni Support Center, Hope House for the Handicapped and Helen Evans Home.”
FOFC President Susan Wittmer says, “A project the size of Sugar Plum, which provides Christmas gifts to foster children and emancipated teens, takes months of planning and preparation. It starts in June when the Sugar Plum Chair assembles her team and begins the initial planning. It continues through the summer and fall as wishes are collected and tags are prepared. And it doesn’t conclude till January when the last thank you is written and the wrap up meeting is held.
The next step will be writing the children’s and facility wishes on the tags after they are received.
“SP Chair Gigi Andrew has gotten our 35th Sugar Plum project off to a great start,” continues Wittmer. “Our FOFC members are doing their part, working towards the day when the trees open and our friends in the community join in the effort to bring holiday happiness to local foster children.”
Those friends include organizations such as National Charity League, Los Angeles Dept. of Water and Power Employees, Wells Fargo, Arcadia Real Estate Professionals, Sara Lee and Theta Chi Epsilon Sorority.
“A couple of years ago a friend introduced me to FOFC at their annual fund raising luncheon,” comments La Cañada resident Carole Kolla, a relatively new member. “I was very impressed with the members and their eagerness and excitement to assist kids who needed encouragement and a helping hand – by their good works and volunteering the kids knew that someone cared. The annual Sugar Plum Tree event was the deciding factor.”
Members of FOFC hail from cities throughout the San Gabriel Valley including El Monte, Altadena, Arcadia, Temple City, Duarte, Monrovia, San Gabriel, South Pasadena, La Cañada and even Los Angeles. New members are always welcome and Andrew says she would be happy to have their help with Sugar Plum.
The next general membership meeting will be held on Saturday, October 9 at the centrally-located Arcadia Community Center (365 Campus Drive). Anyone interested in becoming a part of this vital organization is welcome to attend.
For more information about Friends of Foster Children call 626-445-4542 and for more information about the Sugar Plum Tree program call Andrew at 626-975-9571.

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