Tis the Season to Foster Joy: NASB North Pole Wraps Up Year Two

PART THREE: NASB’s North Pole Wraps Up Year Two

It’s a cold, dreary December afternoon, and *Diane is sifting through an assortment of toys, books, and trinkets at the Gift Gallery in Leawood, Kan. Part of NASB’s North Pole, the Gift Gallery is a three-day holiday shopping experience that provides gifts for families who participate in Cornerstones of Care’s community-based programs at no cost to them.

Diane is shopping for Christmas presents for her five children, ages 10 to 16. Four of the children are fostered, and one is adopted. Despite the urgency of the approaching holidays and her looming to-do list, Diane has more than just shopping on her mind.

“We admitted my adopted child to inpatient mental health treatment for the ninth time this morning,” she said. While she talks, a Gift Gallery volunteer takes her bag of gifts to a table to be individually wrapped.

It’s Diane’s first time shopping at the Gift Gallery. She already feels grateful for the opportunity to be there, admitting that she hasn’t had time to focus on Christmas shopping given her child’s recent mental health crisis.

“I’ve looked forward to it all week,” she said. She notes that a service like this is especially valuable for parents like her that have children with mental health struggles.

This December, NASB’s North Pole helped ensure that over 1,400 kids were able to receive gifts and enjoy the holidays this year. Thanks to donations from corporate and individual sponsors and volunteers that contributed 263 hours to NASB’s North Pole, 1,115 youth, including kids in foster care, were served through the Sponsor-A-Youth program. And 74 families like Diane’s were able to pick out gifts at the Gift Gallery. 

Foster care and adoption can be challenging for everyone involved – biological parents, siblings, case managers, and those in foster care. Yet, if you keep your eyes open for those meaningful, magical moments, you are sure to find them.

To learn more about Cornerstones of Care’s foster care and adoption services and the impact that you can have on the life of a child, visit our website.

*Name changed to protect privacy