The "Child's Gift of Giving" holiday luncheon is hosted by Germain Honda of Naples and takes place on a Saturday in December. Children and volunteer mentors will shop, purchase and wrap hundreds of presents for the families of 75 children in the foster care system selected by The Foster Care Council. The Foster Care Council, The Rotary Club of Naples and Germain Honda of Naples provide volunteer mentors to shop with the children. Germain Motor Company provides funding for the event.
Children must be between the ages of 7 and 18 years old. They will be given $100 to shop for Christmas presents for their family and $25 to buy something for themselves. Each child will be matched with a mentor. After each child has purchased their gifts, they return with their mentor from Wal-Mart to Germain Honda of Naples to wrap presents and to have a holiday lunch. Wrapping paper and supplies are provided. "The children really enjoy this day and are so appreciative‰¥Ïthey would not otherwise be able to say thank you to the families that help them," says Dana Perkins, Marketing Director for Germain.
"Children in the foster care system find themselves in situations that would strain well-adjusted adults. The Child's Gift of Giving is a wonderful event because it helps these children who have such turmoil in their lives have the most 䴝normal' Christmas they possibly can," says Jennifer Weidenbruch, Executive Director of the Foster Care Council.
 |
 Letter written by a foster child |
This drawing was created by a foster child |