In 2019, we set out to collect a $25 gift card for each of the 775 foster teens in Franklin County. Our community rallied behind this effort and we were able to collect more than $50,000 worth of gift cards for teens within our county.

Since then, it has become our goal to provide at least two $25 gift cards for every foster teen in the state of Ohio. With your support and the collaborative effort of local businesses, organizations, and individuals, we are confident we will be able to meet - and even surpass - this goal!

During the course of our partnership with Franklin County Children’s Services, we learned that Christmas tends to be a difficult time for foster teens. Typically, many donors want to purchase gifts and toys for little children - teens, who have outgrown dolls and toy cars, are usually forgotten. We set out to change this.

The outreach will begin on Sunday, November 12 and run through Sunday, December 3.

We want the entire community to get onboard! Regardless of religion, background, or any affiliation. This is a great opportunity for our community to come together and we are excited to collaborate with local businesses, organizations, and individuals to collectively further the impact of this outreach.

We are collecting $25 gift cards to restaurants and retail stores. The retail stores must have an online presence.

Many teens are located in rural areas, so we want to be inclusive with the gift cards we provide. Taco Bell, McDonald’s, Wendy’s, and Subway are preferred restaurants, since they are typically located in most counties. Stores that have an online presence allow teens to order online if they do not have a physical location nearby. Examples of appropriate retail stores include Target, H&M, Zara.

Yes, any financial donations we receive will be used to purchase gift cards. You can follow these 3 easy steps:

1. Visit one.church/give

2. Select “Foster Teen Christmas Outreach” from the drop down tab

3. Input your donation and click give

Email dionna.a.carter@gmail.com