By giving now through September 17, you can make a difference for a youth in foster care this upcoming Christmas
It’s September, and with school back in session, Christmas probably feels like it’s a long way off. But this San Diego Gives it is on our minds at Hope for San Diego because there are youth in foster care in San Diego who may not get a Christmas due to changes in budget, distribution, and capacity. But for Valishia, one of our matching donors, this is near and dear to her heart because this was her story…
This San Diego Gives, my husband and I are partnering with Hope for San Diego to help make sure youth in foster care in our community have gifts to open on Christmas morning. This is personal for me, and I want to share why.
I spent a lot of my childhood in the foster care system, and there were Christmases when I didn’t have a gift to open.
But, I will never forget the Christmas of 1994, my senior year of high school.
At that point in my life, I knew my future depended on me. I was working two jobs, saving money, and trying to figure out what my future would look like. I didn’t really have anyone I could rely on or someone I knew would always have my back.
And on top of all of that, I was carrying the pain and trauma of a very hard childhood. I was only a teenager, but I felt the weight of my past and the responsibility of my future at the same time. I remember feeling scared and overwhelmed and knowing I had to keep going.
But the Christmas of 1994, someone gave me one of the most treasured gifts I had ever received…
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…a stereo system.
I loved music, and when I was in my room with that stereo playing, I could forget about all of pain, trauma, responsibilities, and challenges I was facing for a little while. I could turn up the music, sing at the top of my lungs, dance around my room, and just be a normal teenager.
I could just be a kid.
That gift didn’t change everything I was facing, but it gave me joy in the middle of it. And more than 30 years later, I still remember how that felt.
I have no idea who gave it to me. They never saw me open it. They didn’t know what was going on in my life or what I was carrying at the time. They probably thought they were just buying a Christmas gift for a teenager in foster care.
But that gift gave me joy. It gave me a little bit of normal when my life didn’t feel very normal. And it let me know that someone had thought about me.
That’s why my husband and I are choosing to be matching donors for Hope for San Diego this San Diego Gives.
There are foster children right here in our community who need someone to think about them. We can show them love in a very real and tangible way by making sure they have something to open on Christmas morning.
It may seem far off and like a small gift, but to that child it might mean:
Someone thought about me.
Someone listened to me.
Someone cares about me.
I haven’t been forgotten.
I know because I was that child.
And maybe, just for a little while, that gift lets a kid be a kid. They get to put everything else aside and just enjoy that moment. They get to be excited, open something they really wanted, laugh, play, and experience all the fun and joy that Christmas should bring.
You get to help create a good Christmas memory for a child this San Diego Gives. One they may carry with them much longer than you could ever imagine.
I will probably never know the person who bought me that stereo in 1994, and they probably never knew how much it meant to me. But more than 30 years later, I still remember.
This San Diego Gives, you can be that someone. By giving, you can give a child a gift, a little bit of joy, and a memory they may never forget.
Through September 17th, all gifts will be matched up to
$7,500
Your donation will go towards buying bikes, scooters, helmets, car seats, sports equipment, and toys for youth in foster care this Christmas season.
Give the gift of HOPE to San Diego youth in foster care.
San Diego Gives is a countywide celebration of generosity supporting hundreds of local nonprofits as we come together across the county to support the nonprofits that make our communities stronger.
One-time Gift
Your one-time, tax-deductible donation will help children in desperate situations thrive with tangible support.
Hope Partner
Your monthly recurring gift will help renew our city so that even the most vulnerable can thrive
Stock Gifts & Checks
Checks can be mailed to:
Hope for San Diego
4075 Park Blvd, Suite 102-348
San Diego, CA 92103
Matching Gifts
Please check with your employer to see if your gift will be matched. Our Tax ID is 77-0605178.