November 2020
Greetings!
So much has changed this year. What hasn’t changed is how much you matter to our kids.

With so much need, we are so grateful that you are asking how to help our kids.
We are also so thankful for Brigette Singletary who reached out to us yesterday (!) with a challenge grant. Brigette is an amazing human forged in foster care and she is on fire to make a difference. Read Brigette’s offer of help below, and you will see the spirit of your gifts in action.

If you want to donate gifts for kids, please consider shopping local when you can. We are bearing witness to the struggles in our communities and we are invested in the many possibilities of stronger community on the other side of the pandemic.

With gratitude,

Sue
Susan Conwell, JD
Executive Director
A Message from Brigette Singletary
When I look around me, I am filled with so much gratitude – I have an amazing family, a home, great friends, a fulfilling career, an amazing work family but then..... I find myself pausing. I cannot help but think of those less fortunate right now, specifically those in foster care. I promised myself that no matter where my life took me, I would NEVER forget what it was like to have a very different life. I would forever remember what it was like to go hungry, to be abused, to be the ‘foster kid’, to struggle through school, and to be overlooked simply because of where I came from. 

I promised myself that if I could persevere through all of the hardships thrown my way, I would give what I could back to help other disadvantaged youth. For me, that aspect of being able to change the future in a positive direction for others was and is fueling. It’s one of the reasons I founded the Fostering Hope fundraiser benefiting the amazing organization, Kids Matter Inc., 11 years ago. For 10 consecutive years, a team of volunteers worked tirelessly to put on our annual Party with a Purpose, Fostering Hope. This year, due to COVID-19, we could not hold the event and while our kids need us every year, the need this year is greater than ever.  

As we enter the holiday season in what has been a challenging year for many, in ways too numerous to count, I am asking for your help to replace some of the funds we would have raised for Kids Matter. Please consider contributing if you are able, and to make our reach greater, I will personally match each dollar donated up to $5,000 in donations to Kids Matter Inc. this holiday season.

--Brigette Singletary, CPA, MBA
Holiday Wishes
Would you like to make the holidays special for a child this year but you don’t know a Mandolorian from a Hatchimal? Minecraft from Descendants? We have you covered. Check out our list of frequently requested toys by age.

Do the holidays make you feel nostalgic? Us too! Classics are always welcome – Mickey, Dora, sleds, fuzzy socks, warm blankies, your favorite book growing up and today’s preschool and YA best sellers– we appreciate them all. And can we just say board games and puzzles – of all sorts! With a Wisconsin winter ahead, family activities, crafts and learning experiences are gifts that keep on giving.

If you don’t know where to get started, consider the Smiley Barn, Wisconsin’s biggest toy store and a friend to foster youth. Local Carter’s stores have partnered with us and the Pajama Program to help foster youth have warm, snuggly dreams. MODA3 is kind to our teens. Gift cards to local grocery stores are always a help for families in need. Many news outlets are sharing lists about how to shop local remotely, and many local businesses are providing free or reduced cost shipping or curbside pick-up. 

We are also happy to receive items directly from Amazon and other online retailers. With just one click, you can match a wish. Email [email protected] to give us a heads-up that there's a package coming!

To arrange a no-contact donation drop-off, call 414-344-1220 or email us. You can also ship packages directly to:

Kids Matter Inc.
1850 N Dr MLK Jr Dr, #202
Milwaukee, WI 53212
Workplace Holiday Gift Drive
Does your workplace typically run a holiday gift donation drive? Wondering how to do it this year if people are still working from home? Kids Matter can create an Amazon (or other retailer) wish list specially for your company or organization to make it easy to give to children in foster and kinship care. Interested? Get in touch!
Now you can donate to Kids Matter Inc. while doing your shopping! Amazon Smile is the same as Amazon, but 0.5% of your purchases will benefit Kids Matter Inc. Simply choose Kids Matter Inc. when you sign up for free at smile.amazon.com!