Saratoga County church raises $10K for foster families
CLIFTON PARK, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- According to the Saratoga County Foster Care, the greatest need for teens is foster parents. Parishioners at the Redemption Church of Clifton Park saw this need and wanted to help foster kids feel special during the holidays.
Saratoga County Foster Care Homefinder Christopher Cittadino said that Christmastime can be especially difficult for foster families. "It's a burden for families to take on caring for other children in their home," he said. “This time, we have 34 families altogether, and that consists of our traditional foster families, kinship families, and what we call direct placements.” Kinship families are those where kids are placed with a relative, and direct placements allow for kids to go directly into a home.
“There's a lot of misconceptions about teenagers in foster care whether they're wild and they get into trouble or things like that," said Cittadino. "Oftentimes, that is not the case.”
“The idea came about with a few of our families in the church. They've been through the foster care system,” said Redemption Church Pastor Jason Cooper.
He said that the congregation raised $10,000 in church offerings. They used that money to buy gift cards and today handed them to the Saratoga County Social Services Foster Care System.
But this is not the first time pastor Cooper gathered his flock. “Three years ago, we brought it to our church and said, 'Here's an idea.' It was a great success in Schenectady County," Cooper said.
They were able to raise $3500 during the pandemic. After moving to Clifton Park, they nearly tripled that amount.
“This is our second time giving back at this capacity. Now, in Saratoga County, we've seen a tremendous increase in our generosity from our church," Cooper said.
"Gifts like this could really offset some of those day-to-day expenses,” said Cittadino. He added, “Looking at the big picture, it allows children to have a very joyful time. A lot of the children that we serve have gone through a lot. So, we're able to provide them with experiences where they can just be kids and have fun and enjoy the holiday season. It is invaluable to be able to learn and heal.”