* Update – 9/26/16 – The Bags for Change program raised close to $3,500 for Angels’ Arms. Thank you to all the shoppers who chose supported us during shopping trips to Lucky’s Market.

We are thrilled to announce that we are one of the three organizations chosen for Lucky’s Market Rock Hill and Lucky’s Market Ellisville Bags for Change program through end of June 2016. Please bring your own bags when shopping at Lucky’s and then choose Angels’ Arms for your token donation.

Thank you in advance!

Are you a frequent AMAZON shopper? If so, you can help Angels’ Arms by shopping online!

Simply visit smile.amazon.com, log-in to your amazon account and choose ANGELS’ ARMS when prompted to select a charity to support.  By doing so, 0.5% of your total purchase will go back to Angels’ Arms. It’s that easy and there is NO cost to you!

So don’t forget….next time you shop on Amazon, use smile.amazon.com

Click HERE to learn more about Amazon Smile.

 

With our largest fundraiser less than a month away, we’re scrambling to finalize our silent auction baskets and could use some help.

Do you frequent Home Goods, Hobby Lobby, TJ Maxx or Target? We need items to complete our baking and home decor baskets. Anything from kitchen utensils, pots/pans, serving platters/dishes, dish towels, etc. would be a great addition. Also, any home decor items such as frames, candles, throw blankets/pillow and lamps would work. Check the clearance aisles for these things and if you are able to get them for us, contact Maria Chandler at 314-842-8400 to coordinate drop off/pick up times.

Are you animal lover and frequent local pet stores/boutiques? Help us build awesome doggy/kitty baskets with items such as leashes, bowls, food, tags, crates, accessories, grooming certificates, etc.

Not a shopper but you are a season ticket holder of Cardinals, Blues, Rams, Mizzou, Billikens tickets? We could use tickets to complete some of our sports baskets. If you are willing to donate a pair of your tickets for the 2015/2016 seasons, we would LOVE that! Contact Amber Odom at 314-842-8400 for details. All donations are tax deductible.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Angels’ Arms welcomes a new member to the team, Amanda O’Neal. She will serve as the Teen Preparedness Director of Life Launch, a new program dedicated to preparing older foster youth living in Angels’ Arms homes. It involves working one-on-one with youth and incorporates life skills, career exploration, job shadowing, mentoring, and college visits as well as collaboration with other agencies focusing on the aging out population.

Amanda earned her Bachelor of Social Work degree from the University of Missouri- Columbia in 2007. She was employed through the MO DSS Children’s Division from May 2007 through August 2015, serving as case manager, resource licensing worker, and resource licensing supervisor. Much of her work included support of older youth and their foster families. She will help develop Life Launch to meet the needs of youth in foster care as they prepare to enter life as young adults.

Amanda is anxiously awaiting graduation from the University of Missouri- Columbia where she will receive a Masters in Social Work with emphasis in program development, policy, and administration in May 2016. When not working or studying, she spends time with her husband Nick, their two boys, Max (4) and Jon (2), and their extended families. They enjoy going to the zoo, swimming, and going to the playground.

Today’s generation will grow up with every season of life captured in photographs. From daily moments caught on camera phones to annual school pictures, memories now live forever for the average kid next door. But this is not the case for thousands of foster children in our country. They move from foster home to foster home, school to school, never capturing special childhood milestones in photographs but Angels’ Arms supporter Casey Trueman is hoping to change that, one photo at a time.

Casey first began her photography career when she received a professional camera as a Christmas gift. What started as a hobby turned into something she could see herself doing long term. She went from casually taking pictures of her children to setting up photo sessions with her friends and family. After seeing an Angels’ Arms facebook post seeking a volunteer photographer,  Casey immediately responded with the intent to help.  “I looked up Angels’ Arms online and fell in love with the mission. Anyone who welcomes a child into their home with unconditional love is a hero in my eyes.” said Casey.

“As a mother, I know how quickly childhood passes and I try to freeze those moments for my kids,” Casey stated. “When I see my family pictures on the wall and think about families who don’t have that, I want to help.”

Casey has been a wonderful support system to Angels’ Arms over the years. She’s hosted numerous photo sessions for Angels’ Arms foster families. Many of the kids never had professional photographs taken before but thanks to Casey, they now have beautiful pictures that they will treasure forever.

Written by: Kelsey Baker – Angels’ Arms Intern

About Casey Trueman Photography:
Casey is a natural light, outdoor photographer who specializes in senior and family portraits. “I want to give my clients a fun, stress-free experience and beautiful images that capture their personalities and lives,” said Casey. To learn more or contact Casey, please visit her website at www.CaseyTruemanPhotography.com or like her Facebook Page, Casey Trueman Photography.

We are thrilled to unveil our new mobile friendly website, made possible by our friends at Forward Slash Technology. In celebration of our 15th year of supporting St. Louis foster families, we wanted to freshen up our brand with an updated logo and a redesigned website. This new design will give you, our generous supporters, an easier way to make donations, navigate through all the latest happenings with our foster families, learn more about and register for upcoming events and do it all from your mobile device. As a small non-profit, our marketing budget is very limited and an expensive website upgrade like this was not going to be possible but thanks to Monte Hickey and friends at Forward Slash, we were able to make the switch to a mobile optimized website. One of the new website features will include weekly blogs from our wonderful team, giving you the inside scoop on the day to day life at Angels’ Arms. Check back often for more stories about our kids, foster parents, events and more.

Thanks for reading!

Jasmina Schue
Development Director