National Foster Care Month
Kaiser Cares, our firm's company-wide philanthropy platform for community giving and volunteerism, is grateful for the opportunity to raise awareness about foster care.
May is National Foster Care Month, a time to recognize that we can each play a part in enhancing the lives of children and youth living in foster care and show appreciation to foster parents across the country.
Beginning in 1988, U.S. Presidents have issued annual proclamations in recognition of National Foster Care Month. This year's proclamation, which you can read here, states this month is an opportunity for us to:
- celebrate resource and kin families who are supporting children by opening their homes and sharing their love
- recognize foster youth and all of their accomplishments
- encourage the many biological parents who are working hard to reunite with their children safely
The Presidential proclamation also says this month gives us a chance to fulfill our responsibility as a Nation to take care of each other and provide our vulnerable youth and families with the support they need.
My Very Own Blanket
One compassionate organization supporting foster care children on a year-round basis is My Very Own Blanket (MVOB). Since its humble beginnings in the year 2000 by founder and CEO Jessica Rudolph, MVOB has inspired volunteers everywhere to make and donate thousands of blankets to children in foster care.
Jessica shares her kindhearted story of how MVOB began in this TEDxColumbus Talk, “They Own Their Own Story – And a Blanket.” MVOB is dedicated to warming the heart of every child in the foster care system with a blanket that gives them a feeling of comfort, security, and, most of all, a smile!
The gift of a homemade blanket is comforting and familiar to the children because they can take their very own blanket with them as they move through the unfamiliar foster care system from one home to another.
MVOB connects diverse people, community groups, businesses, and services through this volunteer opportunity and ministry to our children in foster care. Through the loving care of the many volunteers, thousands of blankets are donated each year to kids in foster care. MVOB's ambitious goal for 2021: donate 25,000 blankets.
Kaiser Cares Volunteers Make Blankets to Bring Smiles to Foster Care Children
Leading up to National Foster Care Month, Kaiser Cares was glad to partner with MVOB to help this wonderful nonprofit achieve its goal for this year of delivering 25,000 blankets to kids in foster care.
During February, our firm purchased 120 “No-Sew" fleece blanket kits for our Kaiser Cares volunteers to complete. On March 9th, Kaiser Cares hosted a virtual sewing event with guest Jessica Rudolph of MVOB. During the gathering, our team members and their families learned how to make the blankets as Jessica provided detailed instructions. After several weeks of folding, cutting, and tying knots, we wrapped up our blanket drive during April.
Thank you to our 35 Kaiser Cares volunteers and their families who donated their time and talent to make all 120 blankets. The blankets have been delivered to MVOB and are ready to be donated. Our team members found it incredibly heartwarming to participate in MVOB's tradition of completing a personalized tag for each blanket – complete with a message to help the foster care child receiving the blanket feel special.
Our Kaiser Cares team continues to volunteer for worthy causes where we can make a difference in the lives of others as we find inspiration in a tag message written to a foster child: "Everything you can imagine is real."
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