Gifts needed for teens

Foster Hope Otago/Southland co-ordinator Juanita Willems is busy packing presents for children in care. PHOTO: SAM HENDERSON

What do babies and teenage boys have in common?

They are the two age groups Foster Hope Otago/Southland is keen to collect more Christmas gifts for.

Volunteers from the charity have been busy putting together packs filled with age-appropriate presents for children in care.

Co-ordinator Juanita Willems said about 1500 foster children and young people in care would receive the gifts on Christmas Day.

But before the big day, the charity needed a few more items to help fill the gift bags.

It is still looking for a few more baby toys as well as soft baby blankets.

"Even just wee blankets that we can pop in."

Presents for boys and teenagers aged 10 years and over was another category where more items were needed.

These gifts could include toiletries, but without any spray deodorants.

Funky socks, drink bottles or beach towels were among the kinds of gifts that could be suitable for older boys.

"We tend to stay away from socks and undies, those are everyday essentials in our world, so we want to give them something fun or something that is practical but isn’t ‘oh great, I’ve got socks and undies’."

Items could be handmade, but they did need to be newly made.

"We do insist on that ... for some of these kids, this is all they get," Mrs Willems said.

Every gift is individually gift-wrapped and then placed in a bag for a particular child.

Volunteers at the charity were not there to see the faces of the children on the day, but social workers had shared heartwarming reactions.

"They are honestly just so impressed. Some of the kids are just, there’s tears, there’s emotions, that ‘somebody did this for me?’," Mrs Willems said.

"We want to make sure that the kids that are in care have got something and the ones that will go into care in the next month."

There had even been times when she had been "racing down" to the charity storeroom just before Christmas.

"They will be the last minute ones that I will get a ‘oh, my gosh, we have placed this wee one and it is Christmas Eve’."

The aim was always to make sure there was something under the tree on Christmas Day.

Mrs Willems thanked all the people who gave new items to the charity, even if it was just something simple.

"If it is one body wash for a teenage boy, that helps us make up a package gift for them."

People need to drop off items at collection points before Friday, December 5, so the presents can be packed and distributed to social workers in time for Christmas Day.

• For questions, email otago@fosterhope.org.nz or search Foster Hope — Otago/Southland on Facebook.