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Community

Make a Difference in the Lives of Foster Children This Holiday Season

By Tamara Webb, Director of Operations, OCJ Kids

As the holiday season approaches, the focus of OCJ Kids remains the same: to impact Arizona’s foster children and create memories to last a lifetime. Since 2006, OCJ Kids has provided opportunities for our community to support Arizona’s foster children who currently live in group homes.

Arizona currently has more than 14,000 children in the foster care system. Many of those children do not live with a traditional foster family but in group homes. OCJ Kids works with the group homes and with the Department of Child Safety offices to bring hope to these children.

As children enter the foster care system, they often come with only the clothes on their back. From the moment children in Arizona enter foster care until the time they leave the system, OCJ Kids is involved. Diapers, wipes, pajamas, hygiene products and clothing are provided as they enter foster care. Transition suitcases filled with supplies and resources are provided to teens as they leave the system at 18. Every year, OCJ Kids hosts a career development fair, cowboy camp, back to school celebration, and Christmas bowling party. During the COVID-19 pandemic, OCJ Kids never stopped working to provide essential supplies to these children.

On December 11 – 12, OCJ Kids will host the annual One Bright Star Christmas Bowling Party. Over the two days, more than 500 foster children and teens will have the opportunity to bowl, visit with Santa, and receive gifts from their wish list. Local residents can be a part of creating memories and bringing hope to Arizona’s foster children. To purchase a gift for a child, visit Amazon’s charity wish lists and look for OCJ Kids One Bright Star. Your purchase can be shipped directly to OCJ Kids.

OCJ Kids is a qualified foster care organization. As an Arizona taxpayer, you may be eligible to receive a dollarfor-dollar credit on your 2021 Arizona state taxes when you donate to OCJ Kids. The Arizona Tax Credit allows taxpayers to decide where their tax dollars are going to be spent by choosing a qualified charity to donate your tax dollars. Individual taxpayers may donate up to $500 and joint filers may donate up to $1,000. To make your Arizona Tax Credit donation, visit ocjkids.org/donate.