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Hope for the Holidays Overview |
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Who is Children's Bureau? Children's Bureau, Inc. is a private not-for-profit human service agency that has served central Indiana children and families in crisis for 160 years. Children's Bureau, Inc. has over 25 programs including counseling, group home care, adoption services, crisis shelter care, and foster care... to name a few. Our programs now encompass facilities outside of Marion County, including but not limited to: Terre Haute, Lafayette, Anderson, Muncie, New Whiteland, Noblesville, Connersville, and Avon. For more information about the agency and our services, visit: www.childrensbureau.org. Who are the children listed on this site? The children listed on the 2011 Hope for the Holidays site are children who are residing in an out-of-home placement on a short or long term basis. This includes children in foster care, our children’s shelter, Courage Center, Evans House, and our independent and transitional living programs. The case managers who work with these children throughout the year have determined each child’s needs. We have included their unique stories to help you as you are selecting a child. Do the gifts that I purchase really go to the child that I shop for? The answer is, "Yes". We make every effort to see that your gifts go to the child that you are sponsoring. However, there are some circumstances that may make this difficult or impossible. For example, the child has moved and cannot be located or the child is part of a family unit and we, like in your own family, must create "fair and even" gift giving. Please understand that any gift that does not go to a child during the holiday season is held for a child within our programs for another time such as a birthday, graduation, or reward for good behavior. Children's Bureau case managers go to great lengths to personally deliver your gifts to your sponsored child. Am I the only one shopping for this child? Yes. Once a child is sponsored, the entry is removed from the "Holiday Tree". Therefore, if you find that you are unable to fulfill your commitment to sponsor, please let us know immediately so that we can restore the entry to the tree. How much should I spend? We struggle each year with this question. What we can share with you is that over the past 5 years, the average amount spent on each child is between $100 and $150. However, as you review the entries you will see that there are several children that have more needs than others. We leave it to you, and your budget, to select a child that you can comfortably sponsor. Can I claim a tax deduction? Supporting a child in need for the holidays is a tax deduction, so please keep track of your purchases – save your receipts for your records. You will be asked to return to this website and login to summarize your purchases and the total dollar amount. In January, you will receive a letter expressing our thanks and detailing your contribution. Why do I have to log my gifts on the website? First, we use this information to supply you with an accurate tax letter. Second, we track the dollar value of all contributions throughout the year: in-kind donations, monetary and volunteer time. This information is reported to our board, our auditors and supporters. It is important for consumer and general public confidence in our bookkeeping. To NOT report these contributions is to underestimate the value of the services provided to our clients. In-kind support is utilized as we apply for various grants - it is concrete evidence of community support. This becomes very important when we request matching funds. Do I have to purchase everything on the list?!?! No. Like all children, the wish listis, just that – a wish list. Our youth want the same things that every kid wants: the latest game system, the brand name clothes, and the coolest of the cool stuff. They want to fit-in with the rest of the kids at school. We encourage our sponsors to focus on the critical “needed items” and then provide at least one or two items from the wish list. Delivery Information: We ask that our wonderful sponsors deliver their gifts to the Family Support Center drop-off site so that the items can be grouped by location and case manager. To protect the confidentiality of our clients, our case managers deliver the gifts to the children. We hope that this makes the entire process more convenient for our sponsors. WHEN: Please deliver your gifts to the Family Support Center on one of the following dates:
WHERE: Gene Glick Family Support Center 1575 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street Indianapolis, IN 46202 Please click here for our Drop Site information and map. Some tips for Sponsorship:
Please direct all inquiries to: Sarah Bradbury Volunteer Resources Coordinator Hope for the Holidays, Project Manager Children's Bureau, Inc. Phone: (317) 264-2700 x290 Email: sbradbury@childrensbureau.org |