Ten for Teens 2016
Four years ago, Frugal Living NW featured Welcome Boxes for children entering foster care as an opportunity for all of you to give back to our community.
The drive was a raving success as the community showed how much it values vulnerable children in the Portland Metro area. These boxes communicated a much needed message of value, dignity, and worth at a time of great vulnerability and uncertainty in these children’s lives.
And now we have another opportunity to serve this Christmas season. We’re back again this year with our big Ten for Teens giving opportunity!
Over the last three years, Frugal Living NW readers have donated over $33,000 in gift cards to local teens in foster care. Your efforts had such a tremendous impact on local teens in foster care, their caseworkers, and the Department of Human Services as a whole — and we are hoping that we can pull this off again this year.
Ten for Teens: $10 gift cards for teens in foster care
One thing Embrace Oregon, the organization that grew from the Welcome Box campaign that works to connect the community to serve children in foster care in Oregon, has consistently heard from child welfare workers is that teens are the most neglected groups when it comes to community holiday giving.
Our Ten for Teens campaign seeks to meet this tremendous need. This is just one response we received from DHS about what you all have accomplished in past campaigns:
Dear Friends,
We were so delighted to receive the gift cards you provided for our teens in foster care! We want to give you our warmest thanks for this great resource.
Each year, we try to provide a holiday gift for every one of our kids in substitute care. We work with a number of organizations, many of whom are very generous with toys and games for our younger children. We find the most difficulty in getting appropriate gifts for our teenagers. Most donors think of cars, truck, dolls, and teddy bears; however, our teens also like to have a gift to celebrate the holiday.
[You] thought ahead to this unmet need, and we are so grateful! Gift cards are especially nice for these teens, because most of them have led lives that did not offer them many choices. Having the means to “pick out something I really like” is important to most teens, but particularly to these kids. It is a luxury that most of them have never had the opportunity to experience. You gave the gift of choice, along with the fun of the season. Thank you!
You can read more responses from caseworkers from past Ten for Teens giving campaigns here.
What if every teen in foster care in the Portland Metro are received a $10 gift card this Christmas?
For most of us, gift cards conjure up images of the impersonal gift or the choice to buy for someone that already has everything. This couldn’t be farther than the truth for teens in foster care.
Teens in foster care rarely have their own spending money. Making their own spending choices is a simple thing many of our children take for granted but for those in foster care, it’s a luxury — whether it’s getting a drink at Starbucks or purchasing their own socks.
But wait. There’s more.
What if these kids received not only a gift card, but also a personalized message of love and encouragement that sadly they don’t often hear? A message like,
You are beautiful.
You are special.
You matter.
You are are worth it.
You are a gift to this world.
We are asking for gift cards specifically in the amount of $10 to better the odds that all teens in the Portland Metro area will receive one. Please know that this isn’t just something that will be used as a stocking stuffer to go along with a heap of presents.
This might be the only gift these teens in the our child welfare system receive this Christmas, as many teens in care live in group homes.
These gifts will also go to teens currently living with their biological parents with a safety plan. Many of these parents simply do not have enough money to provide Christmas gifts for their kids, and a gift for their child from someone in the community is such as encouragement.
This is big, everyone. Really big. There are approximately 868 teens (ages 12-20) in foster care in Multnomah, Clackamas, and Washington counties, which means we need a whole lot of you to step up to meet this enormous need.
868 teens means we need 868 of you to give one $10 gift card. Or 87 of you to give ten gift cards. Or 8 businesses to give 100 gift cards.
Don’t give into the pessimism that says, “I can’t make a difference.” Oh, you can. A simple $10 can have a significant impact on a young person living in our community this Christmas.
Ready to give? Here’s what to do:
Purchase one or more $10 gift cards.
Here are some suggested establishments:
- McDonald’s
- Subway
- Starbucks
- Dutch Bros.
- Best Buy
- Ulta
- Bath & Body Works
- Fred Meyer
- Target
- Walmart
- Amazon
- iTunes
- Old Navy
- Burgerville
- Coldstone Creamery
- Game Stop
- Movie Theater
- Amazon
Or anywhere else you think a teen might enjoy. The gift cards will be hand-picked for kids by their caseworkers, so your choice doesn’t have to be entirely generic. You are welcome to get creative.
Please keep in mind that most teens in foster care don’t have extra spending money, so don’t get a card from, say, Nordstrom or Pottery Barn. It probably won’t be very useful. Also transportation is difficult for some, so if you select a small business (which is awesome), make sure it’s located in the Portland Metro area so a teen in that area can easily get there.
You are welcome to have the gift cards mailed directly to Frugal Living NW if you are purchasing them online to save time and postage. (Target.com doesn’t mail gift cards to P.O. boxes, so email me for a residential address.) I will assume that any gift cards that come to my business’s mailbox are for this project and not an anonymous gift to me.
Please make sure you are sending an actual plastic gift card and not an emailed printable form with a barcode. A piece of paper is lame. Plastic is cool.
Write a personal message (optional).
The purpose of this message is to let your teen know that there is a real person, family, or group behind the gift card. Let your teen know he is loved and special. Let her know your family is thinking of her this Christmas. It’s probably best to do this in a note or greeting card (a Christmas card would be perfect). Feel free to have your kids or grandkids draw a picture to go along with your card.
No religious messages, such as “God loves you” or “God has a plan for your life” or “We’re praying for you,” please. It’s fine to use greetings that include “Christmas.”
Stick the gift card inside the greeting card/note and put it in an unsealed, unmarked envelope. If you seal it, we will have to open it and make your envelope look all trashy, so just don’t seal it.
This step is optional. You are absolutely welcome to send gift cards without messages.
Mail your gift card(s) and message(s) by December 12, 2016.
Now put your envelope in a larger one and mail it off! We (Frugal Living NW) will collect the gift cards and deliver them to the folks at Embrace Oregon, who will then distribute them to the caseworkers at the DHS offices in the Portland Metro area. Please mail your gifts to:
Frugal Living NW
PO Box 431
Troutdale, OR 97060
If you a purchasing a large number of gift cards (10 or more) and would like a receipt for tax purposes, please include a self-addressed, stamped envelope in your package and we will provide one to the name on the envelope. Your receipt will come in time to complete your 2016 taxes (January 31, 2017).
Please DO NOT hand deliver or mail your gifts directly to a DHS office. We (Frugal Living NW and Embrace Oregon) have a system set up to distribute these gifts in a way that doesn’t create extra work and confusion for the staff.
If you own a small business, are in a position in a larger business to make donation decisions, or an individual who would like to make a large donation to this project, please contact me at frugallivingnw@gmail.com so we can get you a tax receipt for your gift. If you represent a group that would like to make Ten for Teens your giving campaign this Christmas season, please email me so I can get you any information you need to make this a success.
Alright. Who’s in?
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Is this being done for 2017? If so when can we send the gift cards and cards.
Just reading this and see it is past the deadline. Did you get enough gift cards or do you need more?
I’m concerned I won’t be able to get mine together by the deadline. Are there any other options?
You’ll be fine, Amber. We will get the cards in the hands of a teen in care regardless of when they arrive!
Are you still collecting. I noticed all of the dates are November but this just came up on my FB page so I didn’t know about it. Is there still time?
Absolutely, Lisa! We’re collecting cards throughout December!
This is a great idea. My daughter in Oregon sent me the information in California. I couldn’t find $10 gift cards which is why I got $15 cards. I am sending them along with holiday cards. Thank you organizing this wonderful program.
May I make a friendly suggestion? iTunes cards may go unused if the teen doesn’t own or have access to apple products or a computer. That said, I think this campaign is awesome and I thank you for your time and effort in putting it together. ❤️
Each teen’s caseworker gets to select a gift card, so they will make sure iTunes or Google Play cards only go to the kids who have those specific devices.
Donation idea: next Thurs thru Saturday, Walgreens will give you a $10 Walgreens gift card if you buy a 3-pack of $10 iTunes cards for $30. So donate 1 card or all 3, and get a $10 Walgreens card which you can keep or donate to the cause.
That’s awesome, Howard! I’ll try to remember to tell everyone about that.
Meeeee!!!
Is there a program like this for Clark County as well? Or a way to involve Clark County youth? I know it’s different agencies but I’d love to support teens on this side of the river too 🙂
Hey Natasha! We are focusing our efforts on the Portland Metro area this year (Multnomah, Clackamas, and Washington counties). Our partners at Embrace Oregon have direct relationships with these branches, making the distribution of the gifts seamless. I encourage you to contact the local branch in your county and drop gift cards off personally if you’d prefer to donate to Clark County kids. I’m certain they will put your gift to good use!
Involving your children, or in my case my grandchildren, to write the personal notes helps teach them love and compassion. You could also have your children work to earn the $10 and let them purchase the card(s) themselves.
Selfless giving is soo important for them, and all of us, to learn.
I’m in!! It’s such a simple way to spread joy to these kids!
💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖
Thank you, Judith!
Do you have an update for us? How many cards did you receive? I hope every teen will get one.
hi! I just dropped mine in the mail today. I know I am late but I noticed on an earlier comment you suggested that someone could still send it in as late as Monday. So look for 5 gift cards coming from Portland headed your direction! Thank you so much for organizing this.
Awesome! We’re thrilled to take cards anytime — we’ll make sure they get to the right people!
Will cards mailed out this week by Weds or Thursday still be accepted?
Yes! Thank you!
I just read about this.. what happens if I mail it tomorrow?
That’s just fine, Jamie! We’ll make sure your donation gets to the right spot!
I sent mine today and hope for prompt delivery so that they get to you in time to use for this holiday season. Thank you for organizing and caring for these kiddos! I am disappointed to see the restriction of no religious message. When asking for kindness and gifts I feel people should be able to write a blessing to someone of any positive vocabulary.
Stacey: Your card will definitely be here on time and is so appreciated! As for the no-religious messages request — Embrace Oregon holds to the “no strings attached” philosophy of serving DHS. Embrace (and I) don’t want to give DHS any reason to question our partnership and service. Plus, the gifts are given by caseworkers and they are not allowed to express any religious sentiment so we need to honor that restriction. Please do pray that your gift has a significant and eternal impact on the recipient’s life. Prayer will do more than any message in a greeting card :).
Is a similar program happening in other areas? I heard about this and think it’s great, but don’t live near PDX.
Valerie: This particular giving project is the brainchild of the folks over at Embrace Oregon, but I’m sure any DHS branch (or similar agency) would love to accept your donation. I know that Boys & Girls Aid specializes in teens in foster care so you may start there if they are running in your area.
Hi Angela! Is there any way I can drop 5 cards off on Monday, December 15 or mail them out that day? I will not be able to get my cards in the mail until after the weekend!
Absolutely! We will be giving “late arriving” cards to the offices nearest to our homes and they will definitely be used. Thanks for your generosity!
I just ordered four cards from Target online. I would have like to have had them mailed directly to you, but they will not ship them to a PO box. It would be nice if you had a physical address so the cards could be shipped directly to you and save a step and some postage.
That being said, thank you for the work you do for these precious children.
Seriously Target? Email me and we’ll figure something out.
frugallivingonline at gmail dot com
I have a couple friends who have set it up with their PO to accept deliveries on their behalf. There’s a form you need to sign with them before doing that. Beyond that you use the Physical Address of your Post Office + Box # for your deliveries. I hope it works for you as it does for us up here in WA.
Angela,
Could you run “Ten for Teens” in the newsletter again? I don’t see a lot of activity on this post and last year it was very busy.
Thanks so much for providing us with the opportunity to participate. I agree that teens in foster care are a real “forgotten” aspect of the holiday giving season. It never even occurred to me until I saw your post and participated last year. I’m happy to tell you that my card package is stamped and ready for the mail tomorrow. Let’s support those teens! They are our future.
Awesome! And we’ll do more posts over the coming weeks. Response was slow in the beginning last year as well — looking forward to a big turnout this year!
Was wondering about Yamhill County? Not a part of this?
Julia: We are partnering with Embrace Oregon and they have a relationship with the offices in the five counties listed. This enables us to make sure we are providing what is needed most and getting the gifts into the hands of each child’s actual caseworker.