*Update: Thanks to three generous donors, the trips have been fully funded complete with spending money. Special thanks to Margaret S. for making sure both boys were able to enjoy this trip, along with Stephanie H. and Michelle K. for ensuring the boys have spending money.

Two of our 5th graders would like to visit the Great Smoky Mountains with their class in April 2016.

Ethan and Justin, 11 year olds from our Ballwin home, are seeking sponsors for their class trip to the Great Smoky Mountains. They each need $415 to cover all travel/lodging/food expenses. Please help us send them on this trip of a lifetime. Their trip deposits of $135 each are due by October 24, 2015.

Click HERE to donate. Any donation amount ($10, $25, $50) would help Ethan and Justin get that much closer to exploring the beautiful ancient mountains, learning about the diversity of plant/animal life as well as all about the Southern Appalachian mountain culture.

Below is a personal request for support from Ethan and Justin:

“The 5th grade Smoky Mountain trip is all about learning new things, like new plants, animals, and other things of life.  The reason I want to go is because I want to learn those things and study new things like insects, beautiful rocks and cool waterfalls which I want to see.  Also, people say it is an AWESOME place.” ~ Ethan

“I, Justin, would like to go to the Smoky Mountains because I would learn about nocturnal animals and take a hike to the waterfall.  Also, I love to find new rocks for my collection, meet new people, and I would have a lot of fun.  To learn about the outdoors and see new things, that is why I would like to go on this trip.” ~ Justin

Thanks to our generous community, Angels’ Arms foster families are blessed with many wonderful things from clothing, birthday parties, bikes, school supplies and so much more. Debbie Clark, an Angels’ Arms foster parent from our Ballwin home, wanted to show her kiddos and other Angels’ Arms children what it means to give back. She came up with the idea of having our “Little Angels” perform acts of kindness each month in the communities in which they live. First on the list, baking goodies for the local fire department. All three Ballwin homes met up to bake assorted cookies for Metro Station No. 2.

The firefighters welcomed the families with a tour of their firehouse, firetruck, and ambulance. The day ended with the kiddos presenting their thank you cards and cookies to the firefighters.

What a great way to involve the children and show that there are many ways to lend a hand and show appreciation for others. We’re excited to see what the Little Angels will be doing next month.

At least three times per year, Angels’ Arms supporter Sylvia Zedan donates children’s clothing to Angels’ Arms foster families. The clothing is always new and always from Kohls. She saves her 30% off coupons and hits the sale and clearance racks. She loves to shop for boy’s clothes, especially, and has become a master at snagging the best deals. “I go when they have the big sales. I found a pair of pants in the clearance rack for $12 dollars and thought; I can do better than that. I went back a week later and the same pants were now $8. That’s more my price.”

She’s been shopping for our Angels’ Arms kids since August of 2011. She learned about Angels’ Arms through Zip Rzeppa. “I have always respected Zip and thought I should look into the organization he’s involved with.” She attended an event where she noticed some kids were wearing old t-shirts and wanted to help get them new clothes. She’s never looked back.

Every Easter, back-to-school season and Christmas, Sylvia drops off bags and bags of brand new boys clothes, complete with tags. She lets the foster moms and kids pick out their favorites outfits. Her support has meant so much to Angels’ Arms and the kids who benefit from her donations.

Few things in life can bring us complete, down-to-your-core joy. This is different than happiness. It’s different than satisfaction.

One of the things I’m convinced brings this type of joy is when you serve others. When I say “serve” others, I mean truly help them.

Approaching 50 years of age in a few months has brought me to a different level in life. At this level, I have come to know that life is about helping others. It sounds simple and even cliché, and that’s because it is simple. Helping each other through this experience of living life is what we should be doing day in and day out.

Many people think that their purpose on this earth is to find a career you love, to excel at a hobby or skill or talent, to be a good parent, to be good friend, be a good church-goer or religion follower; the list goes on and on of ways we try to fulfill ourselves.

All of these goals and purposes are good, and we should by all means aim to achieve them and be the best we can be. But life is so much more than that.

Every single one of us is part of a community of people who all need each other in different ways. Some people don’t care to admit that. Some people don’t believe that. But it’s a fact. Everyone needs someone, and we all experience challenges, dreams, and times when we need to invoke the help of our fellow humans.

It’s easy for those of blessed with a loving family, a righteous and fulfilling upbringing-or even just a decent one-who had someone in our lives who loved us, to focus solely on our own personal joy and/or our own families.

But that’s not why we’re here. We have to open our eyes. We have to step outside of our comfort zones and find ways to serve others.

Helping others involves taking time to find where your impact can be made and best used. Open your eyes and ears. See where there’s a need. We all can’t start a charity.

But if we all find one person, one family who needs help, imagine what could happen. Believe me, they’re out there. And they’re everywhere: in every single city, neighborhood, section, village, and town of the world.

The manner in which we get involved is up to us. Some of us open our homes to people. Some of us write checks to pay for tuition. Some of us purchase food, clothing and other necessities. Some of us invite them to holiday or special occasions.

When I was child, the church we belonged to decided to host a misplaced and lost family from Vietnam living in a refugee camp. They lived in our church basement. My mom extended her reach by offering them to shower and bathe in our home and by including them in our family dinners. I still remember having this family of 6 celebrate their very first Thanksgiving with us. The lessons we as children learned from this were invaluable and life-changing. People need people.

We can exempt ourselves from getting involved by saying how busy we are and that we’ll do this after our kids go to college. We can live in the fear some of these people having a bad influence on our children or being a potential danger to us or our homes. We can say that we’re financially struggling ourselves and can barely make ends meet. The list of so-called reasons not to help others is long.

Now is the time. People are crying out for help everywhere. They might not ask for it, nor might they appear to need it, nor might they accept it. But the fact remains: people need people, and being present for them is the only way to truly live.

I’ll end with a soul-touching story that is playing out now with a beautiful girl named Monique.

Monique has been in one of our Angels’ Arms homes for 12 years. She did well in school and had an infectious smile and always upbeat demeanor. She decided to go out on her own at the age of 19 and get out of the foster system. As is often the case with foster kids aging out, things didn’t work out too well. You see, Monique needed people. But she didn’t know who to go to and how to ask. Her pride was in the way.

The staff at Angels’ Arms decided to help this young lady. And guess what’s happening? Monique is quitting her current fast food job that is taking advantage of her and dictating her life. We took her to apply after a bit of coaching to a nice local restaurant, and she got the job on the spot after 2 interviews. We helped her complete her FASFA forms and apply at Meramec Community College. We tracked down her birth certificate and other documents that were needed. We arranged for a dentist to donate his services to fix her front teeth all banged up from a car accident. He did it the same day in a matter of an hour.

The process of helping Monique took several hours and days. We all have so many other things to do. But seeing this one lovely young lady realize that she needs others to help her and seeing the joy in her face and her confidence go through the roof is worth it all. Monique gets it. People need people. If only we could all embrace this fact.

Bess Wilfong,
Angels’ Arms Founder/Executive Director

With as little as a $10 donation, YOU can help us send our kids back to school in a new outfit.

FINAL UPDATE: 7/31 – 10:40pm – WE DID IT!!! We hit our $5,000 goal and with just a little over an hour to spare. THANK YOU to everyone who donated and made this possible. Because of you, ALL our kiddos will have new clothing for back-to-school.

UPDATE: 7/30 – 11:22am – We’ve raised $4,320 and are only $680 shy of our goal with 24 hours to go until the deadline. Please donate what you can. Thank you!

Many of us have fond memories of being kids and going back-to-school shopping for school supplies, new clothes and shoes. Of the 55 foster children living in an Angels’ Arms home, 45 of them will be starting school in a few short weeks. Much of their current wardrobe is made up of hand-me-down clothes. Let’s give them a confidence boost for the first day of school with a brand new outfit they pick out themselves. They too are deserving of those memories.

Our goal is to raise the $5,000 by August 1st so the foster families can take advantage of shopping for their kids on tax-free weekend, August 7-9.

Click HERE to donate NOW!!!

If every single person who reads this blog post gives at least $10, we will surpass our goal in no time.
Will you help?

Your donation is 100% tax deductible.
Please share this link with your family and friends.

Can you believe school will be starting again in a month?!?! Soon the stores will be filled with moms and dads buying notebooks, pencils, calculators and more. Children will be picking out their backpacks and lunch boxes, while moms stock up on lunch favorites.

Of the 55 children living in an Angels’ Arms home, 45 of them will also be preparing for a new school year. Thanks to our friends at The Crossing, our children will be provided with new backpacks and the basic necessities for the first day of school. However, there are still a few additional items needed. As you’re picking up items for your children, nieces, nephews, or grandchildren, please consider picking up a few needed items for our Angel’s Arms kids as well.

Donations can be dropped off at the Angels’ Arms office at 12128A Tesson Ferry Rd, St. Louis, MO 63128. If you would like for someone to pick up your donation, please contact Amber Odom at 314.842.8400.

Items Needed:
Clorox wipes
Lysol disinfecting spray
Kleenex
TI-89 graphing calculator (2)
Two pocket folders in assorted colors
1-subject notebook in assorted colors
2″ and 4″ 3-ring binders

Thank you in advance for your kindness.

Amber Odom
Administrative Assistant

The summer months for a foster family with 6+ kids means HUGE grocery bills. We were able to supply our foster families with grocery gifts cards in May but that money went fast and their pantries are bare again. With so many kids and teens in each of our 10 (soon to be 11) homes, food is always a great need.

Here is how you can help! Grab an extra few things while grocery shopping OR gather your family, co-workers, neighbors, church friends and collect any of the food items listed below. You can even deliver these items directly to the foster family of your choice for an opportunity to meet the kids who you will be directly supporting with your contribution.

If you are able to help, please contact Amber at 314-842-8400 or email amber@angelsarms.org.

FOOD WISH LIST

~ Meat, Dairy and Bread
Ground beef, chicken breast, hot dogs, eggs, milk, cream cheese, butter, yogurt cups, bread, bagels and tortillas.

On average, a foster family of 6 kids can go through 5 gallons of milk, 5 loaves of bread and 5 dozen eggs per week.

~ Cereal
Cereals such as Lucky Charms, Cookie Crisp, Frosted Flakes, Corn Pops, Cinnamon Life, Krave, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Fruity Pebbles, Captain Crunch, Honey Comb, Honey Bunches of Oats, Fruit Loops and Cocoa Puffs.

Other breakfast/snack foods: Granola bars, pop tarts and fruit snacks.

Most of our foster families go though 2 boxes of cereal PER DAY. With the average box of brand name cereal priced just under $4 each, that’s over $50 on cereal alone per week!

~ Fruits & Vegetables
Apples, bananas, oranges, pears, strawberries, watermelon and grapes.
Cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce, carrots, celery, corn, peppers, onions and potatoes.

Many of the items listed above are easy and healthy mid-day snacks for our kids.

~ Frozen & Misc. Foods
Frozen pizzas, Hot Pockets, chicken nuggets, chicken tenders, burritos, french fries, canned ravioli, spaghetti and mac and cheese and chips/crackers.

For a foster family of 8, three home cooked meals per day is not always an option. Quick meals are a go-to for our foster families during the summer months.

Summer is well under way and our foster families are excited for all that’s in store. Thanks to our friends at The Sports Pub in Oakville, MO, all of our families will be enjoying a weekend at Trout Lodge this summer. While there, the families will be taking part in swimming, archery, fishing, hiking, horseback riding and so much more. For most, it will be their first time experiencing anything like this. We are excited for them and can’t wait to hear all about their trips. Here are a few pictures of the Fisher family during their weekend trip in June.

Right at this very moment there are more kids in foster care than ever before. And also right at this moment, there are fewer foster homes available for them.

We can get angry at the parents for having kids and not knowing how to parent and for making poor choices, but the kids are still here and they need us. Each of us can have a part in these innocent children’s lives.

Foster parents are the real saints in this world. They have to teach and “unlearn” and deal with behaviors most of us have never encountered. They have to have more than just patience. They have to have steadfast faith and hope in each child and believe that their guidance and direction is having an impact on these children.

But these foster parents and we at Angels’ Arms get to experience the joy of many firsts for foster children. We get to see the expressions on their faces when they have their first birthday party; when they eat their first Dippin’ Dots; when they give us hugs and thank you cards; when they get their first “A” on an assignment; when they go to Trout Lodge and experience their first vacation; when they take a dance or music lesson; when they run track or play soccer. The list goes on and on. The joys are endless, and what we have to do every day (sometimes every hour) is remind ourselves that these joys outweigh the scary and troubling behaviors and attitudes.

All of us can and need to play a part in foster children’s lives.

Bess Wilfong
Angels’ Arms Founder/Executive Director

Javon pictured with Angels’ Arms Founder Bess Wilfong and his foster mom Phyllis Hackman.

This is a story 10 years in the making. The “once upon a time” began on October 25, 2005, when foster parents Phyllis and Eldon Hackman moved into Angels’ Arms’ second home in Ballwin. The foster parents to two boys now had more space, and they opened the home and their hearts to more kids. Javon was only 13 when he joined the Hackman family. He had been in foster care for four years and was living at the Annie Malone Children’s Home. A good kid, Javon was at a critical age, and was starting to go down the wrong path. He needed a more stable, loving environment, and the Hackmans provided just that.

The first few years were rough, to say the least. The teen years can be a struggle for any family, and Javon’s relationship with the Hackmans was no exception. He tested his foster parents daily, especially Phyllis. But no matter how much trouble he got in to, Phyllis and Eldon didn’t give up on him. Javon will be the first to admit that he was grounded for much of his high school career. His foster parents had strict rules in place and Javon continued to break them. This went on for a while but soon, Javon began to understand: the rules were there to protect him and keep him from heading down the wrong path once again. Ultimately, he began to trust them and realized that they had his best interest at heart.

Javon pictured with some of his biggest fans, Bob Ruebsam, Tess McMahon and Tom Hartnagel.

Javon graduated high school with a 3.4 GPA and received an Athletic and Educational scholarship at Benedictine College. After two years at the private school, he wanted a change and transferred to Southeast Missouri State. SEMO gave Javon a place to be himself. He joined a fraternity, made new friends and held a part time job. In the midst of his busy college life, Javon kept in close touch with his foster parents, who were now his family. Visits on weekends, summer breaks and holidays strengthened the close ties they developed.

Javon will never forget the sound of applause that filled the air on May 16, 2015. His 10-year journey had come to this: walking across the stage at the Show Me Center in Cape Girardeau, receiving his college diploma, and listening to the cheers of his foster family and his Angels’ Arms family.

While living with the Hackmans, Javon’s support system grew. He was surrounded by individuals who loved and encouraged him to be his best self. People who helped cover his tuition costs, sent him care packages, helped him network and even land an internship at a Fortune 500 Company. This community of supporters became an extended family for Javon. With their encouragement and assurance, Javon learned that all things are possible, and that opportunities for success are endless.

After graduation, Javon will return to the place he calls home, living with the Hackman family as he begins his career with World Wide Technology. In addition to working full time, he is determined to give back and passionate about helping other foster kids facing similar circumstances. He wants them to know that life is full of opportunities waiting to be seized and that nothing’s impossible.

Ten years ago, all the cards were stacked against him. But Javon truly beat the odds. Nationally, only 50% of foster children graduate from high school and less than 3% graduate from college. Javon’s future was in his hands all along, but the guidance he received from his loving foster family and the many supporters who believed he was capable of great things helped Javon become the amazing young man he is today.

The next 10 years – we can’t wait to see them unfold for Javon.