As a child, there is no feeling of joy so poignant as the feeling of opening a gift on Christmas morning. As we grow older, we lose some of that excitement and wonder, and as adults, the purest way to recapture that feeling is not by receiving presents but by giving. Many children deserve that hope and joy this holiday season, especially kids in foster care. To them, a gift is not just the excitement of a new toy; it also provides hope that one day they can find a place where they belong.
Project Zero is a nonprofit organization that supports foster care children with the ultimate goal of finding a forever family for every child who is waiting. Since Project Zero began its work, the number of kids in foster care has fallen from over 700 to around 250. Every year, Project Zero hosts an angel tree event called Candyland Christmas, where prospective adoptive families and those looking to help can donate items from a child’s wish list to make their Christmas a special and memorable occasion. “We want to spoil the mess out of them,” explains Kandace Gerber, Director of Marketing and Development for Project Zero. “We want to show a watching world how these kids deserve to be treated.”
This angel tree event, like so many others that happen throughout the United States every year, is one of the purest ways to give hope and love to those in need. Christmas is a time to come together and spread the joy that we all need in our lives, and donating to those in need is one of the noblest ways to contribute.
This Christmas, consider giving back, whether through your church, neighborhood community, or a nonprofit organization like Project Zero. If you want to recapture that joy you felt as a child on Christmas morning, give that feeling to others, and you will find that their excitement and happiness will be yours. After all, isn’t that what the holiday season is all about?
"We want to spoil the mess out of them. We want to show a watching world how these kids deserve to be treated."