Shopping day for Fostering Hope’s Christmas of Hope has arrived!

Today is the big day!

Fostering Hope, a nonprofit organization, is holding its annual shopping day for its Christmas of Hope initiative, which uses monetary donations to provide Christmas gifts to local foster children. 

“This is my favorite day of the year,” Executive Director of Fostering Hope Sarah Burch told Newstalk KZRG. “I know several people look forward to this day. Organized chaos is what it really is. … We are so blessed by our community.”

“It’s overwhelming in the best way possible,” Burch added. “As we gear up for this every year, it takes a lot of work and a lot of people to make this happen. … To see all these people show up in the middle of the week on a workday, it always just warms our hearts  and means so much to us and the kids.”

Hundreds of volunteers converged upon the 15th St. Walmart throughout the day to help shop for area foster children. The donations have been rolling in from businesses around the local Joplin communities. Every $50 donated helps one more foster child get a merry Christmas. 

“I heard a couple folks saying they were really worried about this year because of the economy and it being Christmas season, things like that,” Joplin One Church Pastor Shane Munn told NewsTalk KZRG. “You look around here, and the Christmas spirit is very much alive. It’s very exciting. It’s something that gives hope. It truly gives people hope, so you see people showing up and tapping into that.”

This year, more than 500 foster kids will have gifts purchased for them to enjoy on Christmas.

“We’ll continue to take donations today and throughout the season,” Burch said. “Unfortunately, we will have kids coming into foster care between now and Christmas. So, we will definitely cover those children. Any donations we get will go towards those kids and if there is any extra, it will go to next year.”