Community celebrates caregivers

Several local groups, including Arcata Sunrise Rotary, the Eureka Sewing Bee Group, New Directions Foster Parent Association and the Department of Health and Human Services, participated in the 24th annual ?Foster and Kinship Care Holiday Party? earlier this month.

More than 250 children, caregivers and community members attended the event. Each child received a special stocking and a photo with Santa.

?This event shows how much this community supports foster families and kinship care providers and the sacrifices they make,? said Kathy Young, director of Children and Family Services. ?We appreciate the efforts from clubs and businesses -- it's great to see them come back year after year.?

Arcata Sunrise Rotary has been involved with the event for the past three years. The organization was responsible for providing all the volunteers who shopped for, prepared and served the food. The club also provided funds to help with stocking stuffers. College of the Redwoods provided the photo paper.

DHHS and New Directions received $850 from the Humboldt Area Foundation Holiday Funding Partnership. This money was used to pay for the facility rental, decorations and party supplies. The stockings were made by the Eureka Sewing Bee Group.

The Holiday Funding Partnership is made up of nine organizations. They pool their money and provide grants to nonprofits, churches and other groups that have holiday programs for low-income

residents. Green Diamond Re-source Company, California Redwood Company, St. Joseph Health System of Humboldt County, the McLean Foundation, the Patricia D. and William B. Smullin Foundation, Union Labor Health Foundation, First 5 Humboldt, Humboldt Association of Realtors and the Humboldt Area Foundation all contribute to the partnership.

Source: http://www.times-standard.com/lifestyle/ci_19637848?source=rss

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