Dallas nonprofit gives back to children in the foster care system: 11 Days of Giving
North Texas families are heading into the holiday season with more need than usual, and nonprofits are working to meet that growing demand. As part of CBS News Texas' third annual 11 Days of Giving campaign, supported by Tom Thumb Albertsons, $1,000 is donated each day to a local nonprofit making an impact.
Today, we visit with Fostering Dreams Foundation, a non-profit in Dallas that provides everyday childhood experiences for children in the foster care system.
Vallery Mitchell knows what it's like to grow up without a home.
"I am a former foster youth. I was born and immediately placed into the foster care system. At the age of six I was adopted by my forever family," said Mitchell.
She said she knows when you're in the foster care system, you miss out on what she calls normalcy events.
"Just making sure they get to experience normal things that normal kids get to experience while they're in care," said Mitchell. "Next week we're hosting a skating party where over 100 foster youth get to come skate, eat for free, as well as get gifts."
Mitchell said it helps kids feel like they're not missing out because they're in foster care and gives everyone a little break.
"It helps case workers, it helps foster parents and that helps foster youth. Everybody gets to take a big deep breath, and they're like, ok, we can just go here and rest assured we're going to be taken care of," said Mitchell.
Mitchell is running a toy drive at the school where she teaches to give gifts to every foster kid that attends the skate party she's throwing.
That's why Fostering Dreams was selected to receive a $1,000 donation as a part of CBS News Texas' 11 Days of Giving.
That money will help Mitchell continue throwing events for kids in foster care, making sure they get to experience just being a kid.
"Seeing that these kids get to forget what they're going through and relax and be a kid again, that just makes my heart warm and it just makes me want to get out here every single year and do it again and again and again," she said.