LAVON – As Thanksgiving approaches, many people  are thinking about ways to give back to their communities.

Karen Dupois and her family, founders of a charitable nonprofit organization Fostering Hope, say that their program is needed now more than ever.

 

The program provides gift assistance to the communities of  Farmersville, Lavon, Wylie, Rockwall and other area towns.

Like many who work for nonprofit organizations, the spirit of the season means they will be working until Christmas Day.

The program takes the needs of children from churches, schools and even call-ins into consideration through an assistance form and interview process.

 

“Last year we helped more than 600 kids,” she said. Considering the fact that, this time last year, they didn’t have a building in which to work, Dupois said it was a good year.

 

This will be the 10th year for the organization.

 

“We have never turned away anyone who needed help,” she said. “There is no battle. If they need help, they receive it.”

The organization is funded completely through the generosity of those choosing kids off of the Fostering Hope trees and is staffed by volunteers, family and friends.

 

The program operates similar to the Angel Tree program, though each child receives approximately six cards places on different trees so it is ensured that the children receive at least five outfits, a coat, two pairs of shoes, some large “Santa” toys and some small gifts.

 

According to Dupois, the program is completely anonymous.

 

“Most times we help the ‘working poor’ who have done the best they could for their kids,” she said. “No one has ever been embarrassed by our program.”

 

The trees are distributed in the area communities with one being placed in every major restaurant in Rockwall and one at each bank in Wylie, Lavon and Farmersville.

 

Though the trees are heavily concentrated in Rockwall, only the children in the public housing in the town receive help.

The organization was inspired by Little Golden Books. 

 

“When I was about 10 years old, it was Christmas and I had no mom, no dad and there were four Little Golden Books under the tree,” she said. “Later on when my sister and I moved in with our Dad, he would go to work and ‘Santa’ would come hand out gifts. I’ve seen both extremes.”

 

As Dupois became a single mom who lived in public housing, she realized she could make a difference. She made a community center out of an old laundromat in the apartment complex. Mentoring services were made available to the participants.

 

Later on she began the Fostering Hope program.

 

Though the program is geared toward children who need gifts, senior citizens are helped out too.

 

“We have about 100 senior citizens that we buy gifts for,” she said. “We take care of the seniors because it might be their last Christmas.”

 

At this point, Fostering Hope needs volunteers for all aspects to participate in “the spirit of giving.”

 

After Nov. 15, the organization will begin coordinating trees, tags and eventually collecting presents.

 

“Santa is real;  he’s the spirit of giving,” she said.

 

For more information about Fostering Hope or to volunteer call Dupois at 972-276-0862 or e-mail myfosteringhope@yahoo.com.

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