PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – A local non-profit is lightening the load for many families this holiday season who are fostering young children.
With Love provides resources and essentials for families and is pushing to make sure there are many presents under the tree for those kids this year.
The non-profit has been a big help for Jen Browning. Before adopting a boy, Browning’s first experience with fostering was with twins.
“I didn’t have anything I needed to care for them,” Browning said.
Foster parents often find out they’re receiving a child hours before bringing them home. That’s where With Love comes in.
“For me, I got a little guy two weeks before the holidays. So, we were thinking, ‘oh, he’s going to be here for a weekend.’ Well, a weekend turned into months,” said foster parent and With Love founder Allie Roth.
Foster parents of children ages 0-6 can make a request every 90 days through With Love, for items like car seats, clothing, diapers and more. This holiday season, With Love is going big, hoping to gift 600 kids with pillowcases from Nike filled with presents.
“We’re getting new toys, not used. Normally, we take in used toys to help out With Love, but just for this we’re doing new toys, and then we are going to sort them and make them into these beautiful packages and they’re going to go out to DHS parties,” Roth said.
Roth said the non-profit hopes to get about 6,000 toys by Saturday, December 3rd for this “Season of Giving” effort.
“When thinking about items to donate, one thing to think about is who is going to be receiving this gift,” Roth explained. “So, some of these kids, we don’t know if it’s going to be a boy or girl, so, if we can get gender-neutral items that is super helpful for us.”
With Love also has a goal of raising $100,000 this holiday season to help foster families and they have a match from Portland Compressor.
Browning said the extra help makes all the difference, especially during the holidays.
“It’s never easy,” Browning said. “With Love just lightens the load.”
With Love is accepting toy donations through Saturday, Dec. 3, and financial donations for the toy drive through the end of the year.
