Home About Us Our Programs News and Events Resources How to Help Partners Contact Us
   
 
Make a Donation

 

 HERO SPOTLIGHT:
Best Buy

Businesses
Honoring Best Buy
Research in Motion


Beth Blaisdale

Individuals
Honoring Beth Blaisdell
Corporate Executive


Young Lawyers Organizations
Honoring Young Lawyers
State Bar of Georgia
Ne Yo Celebrities
Honoring Ne Yo
Grammy Winner
Kathy Nesbit Photographers
Honoring Kathy Nesbit
Regina Louise Foster Alumni
Honoring Regina Louise
Author

News & Events

February 2011 Events

For foster youth and prospective adoptive families, the month of February was like celebrating Valentine's Day every day!
  • February 12: Adventure Day and Photo Event at Georgia Music Hall of Fame and History Museum (Macon). 26 foster youth spent a day at the museum learning about music history, enjoying pizza, and having their picture taken by our professional photographers. The event included a time for prospective adoptive families to meet and greet waiting children.

  • February 12-20:  "Heart Gallery Georgia Exhibit (Perimeter Church)" - Gift for a Child partnered with the Perimeter Church in North Atlanta to  raise awareness about children in foster care needing families. Gift for a Child's Heart Gallery exhibit featured a photographic documentary of 50 children in foster care waiting to be adopted.  The exhibit also included Gift for a Child's "Foster Drift" exhibit of foster youth that aged out of foster care.

  • February 24: It's our Founder's Birthday and we are Celebrating with Adoptive Parents and Social Workers : More than 170 adoptive families and social workers attended this annual event sponsored by Gift for a Child and the Georgia Association of Licensed Adoption Agencies. This year's key note speaker was Adam Pertman, author of "Adopton Nation: How the Adoption Revolution is Transforming America."

  • February 26:  "Heart Gallery Georgia Exihibit " - Gift for a Child is excited about partnering with Focus on the Family and faith based organizations for the launch of Wait No More Georgia. More than 600 prospective adoptive families attended this event at Victory World Church in Norcross Georgia. Gift for a Child featured our Heart Gallery Exhibit of Georgia's waiting children and our new exhibit "Foster Drift" that highlights youth that aged out of foster care.
April 2011 Events
  • April (TBD): Gift for a Child Celebration Excellence Fundraiser
June Events
  • June 8-9, 2011: Once again, Gift for a Child is bringing our Real Life Preparation Workshop during the Higher Education Institute that prepares older youth graduating from high school.  Last year approximately 200 youth attended our Real Life Preparation workshops that included representatives from major businesses. The theme for this year's event is the Amazing Race.

  • June 8, 2011:  "Celebration of Excellence" - Gift for a Child and Celebration of Excellence Partners (COEP) Host Annual Graduation Event for Foster Youth. The annual statewide event, is hosted by COEP partners and includes a formal awards ceremony much like a commencement exercise with celebrity presenters and a commencement address by a foster youth alumni.  

September 2011
  • September: "Aquarun for a Child"

2010 - 2011 Current and Past Events:

  • Sweet 16 Birthday Party - January 2010
  • GAALA Annual Conference - February 2010
  • Foster Drift Exhibit - Launched July  2010
  • Wednesday's Child 10th Anniversary Celebration  - June 2010
  • AquaRun for a Child - Launched September 2010
  • National Adoption Day Celebration - November 2010
  • National Foster Care Month Celebration - May 2010
  • Wednesday's Child Holiday Celebration - November 2010
  • Holiday Party with Santa - December 2010
  • Gift a Difference Winter Wonderland - December 2010
  • Operation Permanency - December 2010
  • College and Transition Care Packages - Quarterly
  • Wait No More (February 2011)
  • Celebration of Excellence - Annual (June 2011)
  • Celebration of Excellence Gallery - Annual (June 2011)
  • Higher Education Institute: Real Life Prep - Annual (June)

Thanks to our volunteers and a wonderful board of directors, we've operated for 5 years as a totally volunteer based organization hosting events and programs focused on foster youth. Take a look at what happened the last 5 years when the business community and individuals came together to help foster youth during a Gift for a Child special event.

  • We Mobilized the Business Community and Individuals to Help Foster Youth

  • Youth Academic Achievements and Special Occasions Were Celebrated during Celebration of Excellence

  • Youth Were Provided With Opportunities to Learn and Experience Something New During the Higher Education Institute and Real Life Prep

  • Special Moments Were Captured and Memorialized Because of the Wonderful Picture Charity and Heart Gallery Photographers

  • We've Received Awards and Recognition for Our Work

  • Foster Youth Connected to Forever Families Because of   Heart Gallery Events

Events with Partners

  • We celebrate important milestones in the lives of  children in foster care. With the help of individuals and the business community, and create events to gift positive memories that put smiles on the hearts of children in foster care.
  • You may have seen us quietly behind the scenes partnering with another organization to help them support children in care. These organizations count on us to bring a gift for a child, bring a photographer, and bring an idea or to help with an event. We never mind because our organization is made up of talented, generous Gift Givers focused on helping children and other organizations that are meeting their needs.

2009

  • State of Georgia Connections Conference  - Augusta
  • North Carolina Heart Gallery Event – Charlotte
  • Charlotte Children’s Event
  • Gift a Difference Party