Donations needed to help children in foster care

The proverb “It Takes a Village to Raise a Child” is proving true through a month-long donation drive hosted by Tim and Cheryl Hicks to help local children in the foster care system.

The community is being asked to rally together and donate items at The Bluff Church for foster care purposes, which will then be distributed through the Children’s Division of the Department of Social Services and FosterAdopt Connect in Poplar Bluff.

“Between Butler and Ripley counties, right now there are about 300 kids in foster care,” FosterAdopt Connect Family Advocate and Trainer Katie McCoy said.

FosterAdopt Connect SEMO in Poplar Bluff is a nonprofit organization that specializes in solving problems for kids and families involved in and affected by the child welfare system.

Their mission is to provide foster and adopted children a stable, loving and nurturing family environment by support and advocacy for abused and neglected children and the families caring for them.

About 175 children each month will benefit from items donated when visiting Sammy’s Window at the FosterAdopt Connect location, 2198 N. Westwood Blvd.

Items are available free of charge through Sammy’s Window, which provides direct services to foster and adoptive families in the form of clothing, hygiene items, furniture and baby equipment.

“Anywhere from 45 to 65 different families visit in a single month,” McCoy said. “They can come shop every month for all the kids in the home they are caring for, all for free.”

Most needed items for the donation drive include diapers, pull-ups, pajamas, cleaning supplies, laundry detergent, bug bombs, head lice treatment, socks, underwear, ethnic hair products and toilet paper.

Additional new items needed are body wash, shampoo and conditioner, wipes, bottles, toothbrushes and toothpaste, combs and brushes, personal hygiene items, colors and coloring books, building blocks for toddlers, new toys and new blankets.

Larger donated items needed can be new or gently used and include car seats, playpens, cribs, highchairs and baby gear.

To continue assisting foster children in the community after the month-long drive, citizens can check the organization’s Facebook page, FosterAdopt Connect SEMO, each Monday to view “Current Needs Monday” posts.

“We get an abundance of one size or item, but are completely out of another,” McCoy said. “We are trying to be really intentional about things coming our way, so people can look at the posts to see what we really need.”

New hygiene items and toddler and teen socks and underwear are a struggle to keep in stock, she added.

Sammy’s Window is open 1-3:30 p.m. on Tuesdays, 8:30-11 a.m. on Fridays or by appointment. If the hours are changed, like during next week, it will be posted on Facebook.

“We know those hours don’t meet every families needs, so we are happy to make appointments,” McCoy said.

Items donated never go to waste, McCoy said. Some of the more worn or mature items are donated to community partners, such as the Bread Shed, and are given away for free during their monthly food distribution.

“We are grateful to be in the roles we are, to be able to get these items to families,” she said. “It’s the generosity of our community and people like Tim and Cheryl who help us get these items we can give out to families.”

The families, McCoy added, are also very grateful for the donations they can receive each month.

“It really takes a burden off those resource parents who are doing the hardest job of taking care of these kids,” McCoy said.

Donated items for the March drive can be brought to The Bluff Church on Sunday mornings, dropped off at the church office (in the Holiday Inn) during the week or by calling 573-712-0902 to arrange a pick up.