Foster Love - Together We Rise is so grateful to be back and hosting our 2021 Holiday Shopping Sprees. The pandemic continues to hold a lot of uncertainty for foster youth and their families. Offering this event helps bring joy to teens, especially since they are able to pick out exactly what they’d like.

Why Holiday Shopping Sprees?

Holiday Shopping Sprees started 10 years ago and is a nod to our cross country Clothing Tours. When Foster Love - Together We Rise first started, we primarily focused on after-school sports camps for kids in foster care. While hosting these camps we found that foster youth rarely received new clothing or self-care items of their choice.

Our Holiday Shopping Sprees were designed to offer teens in foster care some autonomy over their bodies and aesthetics. School-aged children can be especially cruel to their peers who are not dressed in current trends. Each teen invited to our Holiday Shopping Sprees is paired with a Foster Love - Together We Rise volunteer and together they shop till they drop.

Recap of 2021 Holiday Shopping Sprees

This year, we hosted two shopping sprees, one in Austin, TX, and the other in Brea, CA. Volunteers drove from 50 miles around to help shop with local foster youth. Volunteer Lynn recounts her day,

Just a delightful experience! I worked with two brothers who are total opposites. The older brother was shy and it took some time to reassure him that this day was for him. If he liked something we were going to make it happen.

The younger of the two knew exactly what he was into. We rolled up and got down to business immediately, trying on some new looks and shoes. He fell in love with a olive puff jacket and we spent time talking about how fashion is cyclical. I said I had the exact jacket when I was his age, he couldn’t believe it. Ha!

Thank You

We want to thank everyone who volunteered and contributed to the 2021 Holiday Shopping Sprees. The gift of seeing these teens light up is immeasurable. We hope to see you at our next event.

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