Defender Newsletter Issue 37

Stories made possible by your impact inside!

Table of Contents

Foster and adoptive family christmas parties

Hundreds of our Foster and Adoptive Families got festive at the 4KIDS Christmas Parties.

Gift of hope

Thousands of Gifts were donated this year to families in need.

GROWING BEYOND IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA

See what’s happening in our newest location in Southwest Florida.

more ways to get involved

Take your next step with 4KIDS by participating in Gift Planning, Champions 4KIDS, EPIC Trainings, and/or Vision Tours.

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Foster and Adoptive Christmas Parties

Snow globes, gingerbread houses, and lots of Christmas carols made for the most WONDERFUL Foster and Adoptive Family Christmas Parties. At all four regions families came together to get in the holiday spirit with nothing but time together and smiles all round.

Staff and volunteers from each region of Broward, Palm Beach, the Treasure Coast, AND this year Southwest Florida spent their Saturday serving Foster and Adoptive Families breakfast. It brings so much joy to see children from different backgrounds and stories all running around so full of joy.

Every year it is so special to see these families and kids who have been through so much be able to enjoy a day together as they dance in the ‘snow,’ make gingerbread masterpieces, and enjoy the company of others they can uniquely relate to.

“The Christmas party is one of our favorite events of the year! It is such a great time to connect with other families and have fun while doing it. The 4Kids staff goes above and beyond to make sure every detail blesses our family. They really make us feel loved and seen!”

– 4KIDS Adoptive Mom

Here are some of our favorite photos from these festive events!

Gifts of Hope

Not 1, not 2, but 3,000 gifts were donated this year for our annual Gift of Hope Toy Drive! 3,000 barbies, stuffed animals, gift cards, Lego sets, and so much more filled an entire room to the brim! Piles and piles of toys were separated by volunteers in age appropriate stacks ready for a new home. The community came together to not only reach the need, but surpass it! Because of the businesses, churches, families, and individuals that donated, hundreds of foster and adoptive children had multiple presents to open on Christmas Day.

One Foster/Adoptive Parent mentioned,

We are so grateful to everyone who donated and volunteered during this incredible toy drive, and we want to give a special thanks to Laurie Finkelstein

Reader Real Estate for donating over 1,000 of these gifts! It is such a blessing to so many families in need.

“What beautiful blessings to have all these toys available…this is remarkable”

“The power of this community makes us so proud.”

– Laurie Finkelstein Reader

Southwest Florida Updates

First Few Foster Families

4KIDS is Growing Beyond, and last year was the official beginning of the 4KIDS Southwest Florida office! We are so happy to say that we have our first foster parent licensed and taking on a placement! Erin and Nik Pomerantzeff. This sweet family was patient through the process and are now so excited to make an impact on the lives of children in Southwest Florida.

There are currently five other homes being licensed with two more in the works! Strategic church relationships are being built and the community is already showing up big through the Gift of Hope Toy Drive! Just before Christmas, two charities, Kinder’s Kids in Nashville & The Ironman Foundation in Tampa collected over 20,000 toys and bicycles and selected 4KIDS of SWFL to distribute some of these items to families devastated by Hurricane Ian along with other foster families and children in need. It was amazing to be able to bless so many families right on the brink of Christmas morning!

Construction is complete, our 4KIDS EPIC Therapy rooms have been filled with sensory toys and resources, now events are underway. The official Grand Opening will be held on March 2nd, 2023, and we are already making an impact in the Southwest Florida Region.

Event Recaps

25th Anniversary

In November we celebrated 25 years of serving over 30,000 lives! It was such an incredible evening at Calvary Chapel where we got to honor those who started this ministry. We heard from musical artists Michael Donehey and Austin French, and enjoyed an evening commemorating all the incredible milestones since the start 25 years ago! 30,000 lives have been changed thanks to our generous donors, like you, who consistently pour into our mission. We are so thrilled with all the work that is happening and can’t wait to see where the next 25 years will bring 4KIDS!

Defender Dessert

We love our Defenders and recognize their ongoing generosity. Each person is helping to provide critical needs such as diapers, clothes, or bus passes. In December, 4KIDS hosted it’s first Defender Dessert to honor and give a special thanks to all of our amazing Defenders! We got in the holiday spirit with delicious desserts and a fun time of fellowship together. Keep an eye out for future exclusive Defender Events!

BROWARD TREASURE COAST

More Ways to Get Involved

Vision Tours

Come and hear stories of transformed lives made possible by your generosity! During a 4KIDS Vision Tour, you’ll learn all about what makes 4KIDS unique and discover other ways that you can make a difference for kids and families in need. Vision Tours are offered once a month, both virtually and in-person at each of our regional offices. To sign up for the next one, visit 4KIDS.us/VisionTour

Gift Planning

Make a transformational gift that protects your family and creates more hope, homes, and healing through 4KIDS. Design your first estate plan or update an existing one with our trusted partner Financial Planning Ministry (FPM), a service available at no cost to you when you include a bequest to 4KIDS. Sign up for the next informational webinar at 4KIDS.us/WillsandTrusts.

Thank You

4KIDS DEFENDERS!

Epic Training & Parent Resources

Gain fresh insight on how to work with kids who have experienced trauma, and how to be more effective as a parent or leader in any child’s life. EPIC training is free and occurs online over two days. To register for an upcoming training, visit 4KIDS.us/EPIC/ Training. We also have various parenting videos, blogs, and tip sheets created by our 4KIDS Clinical Team available at 4KIDS.us/EPIC/ParentResources.

Champions 4KIDS

Get together with other Christian business executives monthly to collaborate on different 4KIDS initiatives! Meetings occur in Broward, Palm Beach, and the Treasure Coast. For more information, contact Deanna at DeannaP@4KIDS.us.