As our busiest couple months ever comes to a close, we can’t wait to introduce you to our newest house mother, Kasondra McDaniel! She will be moving into one of our Ballwin homes. Kasondra and Kim, one of our current house parents, are sisters. So not only are we helping foster siblings, but we also have siblings doing the fostering! Kasondra has been fostering for two years now and has fostered five children including two sibling groups. Please enjoy this brief Q&A with Kasondra:

What compelled you to become a foster parent?

My sister and all her many foster children inspired me. Kim has been a foster parent in the St. Louis area for over 20 years. Her family has made a home for over a hundred foster children. Watching her and the children over the years inspired me to help make a difference in children’s lives.  

What does it mean to you to now be a part of the Angels’ Arms Family?

Being a foster parent is challenging, as well as rewarding. Angels’ Arms provides support/resources and a community for foster families. The African Proverb is true, “It takes a village to raise a child.” That quote is especially true when dealing with foster care. In addition to becoming part of an organization that is focused on making foster children’s lives better. It will be a great honor and blessing for my family to be a part of the Angels’ Arms family. 

 

Do you have a favorite memory of fostering? If so, what is it?

Some of my favorite memories include multiple firsts for the foster children.   I can not highlight one specific memory, but I have multiple favorites that all include: bright eyes, “Ooooos” and “Awwws,” smiles, laughter, and fun. A child’s first experience at the zoo, pool, movie theater, concert, Six Flags, shopping, fireworks, special birthdays, and Christmas. When a child becomes comfortable and feels safe enough to grab you and give you a hug. It is always a special memory when a child allows you to show them love, respect, and the appreciation they deserve.

What are you most looking forward to about becoming an Angels’ Arms house parent?

Once again, I cannot choose one thing I’m looking forward to. We are looking forward to moving into a home that is freshly painted and new to us. I am looking forward to my very own bathroom…  lol. The little things I know! We love the location of the house and it will allow my kids to ride their bikes in the neighborhood safely. The new location will make my life easier due to the availability of daycare and after-school care because I am a full-time teacher too. So many things to look forward to, but the bottom line is the constant support and appreciation shown by so many in order to prove to these kiddos that people do care.

On average, babies and young children go through 5-10 diapers per day. We have several houses with multiple diaper-aged children living there. There is also a possibility we are adding another diaper-aged child to the Angels’ Arms family, therefore we need your help! Below is a link to our Amazon wishlist for the needs of our families; included in this list are all of the sizes of our diaper-aged children. When you buy from this list, the item will be sent to our office then we will deliver it to the family who needs it most. Amazon has made donating to non-profits so easy – it only takes a couple of clicks and you can help someone more than you can imagine. If you have the means, please consider donating to our wonderful families.

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/MM03I3IICUFB?&sort=default

We’re saddened to announce that over Labor Day weekend, there was a house fire at our Angels’ Arms home in Ferguson. Foster parents, Jenny and Shane Tripp, along with their three foster children, were out of town when the fire occurred and are safe from any harm.  Unfortunately, there was significant fire damage to much of the house, as well as smoke damage in all areas.

Currently, the foster family is living in temporary housing while the Angels’ Arms staff are busy working through this situation. The cause of the fire is still under investigation but while we wait to learn more, we are helping to connect the family with resources that assist with immediate needs such as clothing and food.

At this time, we can’t accept any donations of household goods and furniture but as we move forward with a long term plan for the Tripp’s, we will post a list of needs and ways the community can help this wonderful family.

In the meantime, if you would like to help Angels’ Arms support the Tripp’s and the other foster families in our homes, you can make a monetary donation HERE

Thank you in advance for your concern and support.

When you own a home, it often seems like there’s a never-ending list of projects and things to fix – some major, some minor … but all necessary to keep your home comfortable, safe and secure. Keeping everything in working order just makes sense. After all, for most of us, our home is our single biggest financial investment.

The same is true at Angels’ Arms, except we are keeping up with the needs at 12 different homes. And when we invest in upkeep for each house, we are not only enhancing 12 buildings, we are also investing in the lives of children.

With 12 homes, our maintenance and repair list is always long. Fortunately, Angels’ Arms has many volunteers and professional partners who help with the monumental task of making sure that our homes meet the needs of large, active families. Angels’ Arms has always succeeded because of the incredible commitment of volunteers, donors and businesses, and we are thankful for those who volunteer their time and expertise to paint, landscape or do minor repairs.

Yet as we continue to add homes, Angels’ Arms has a significant and growing need for our friends and donors to support the needs of our homes, which are at the heart of our mission.

 

Here are a few ways you can help:

Make a donation to our Home Maintenance Fund – we use this fund throughout the year to purchase materials and supplies, pay for labor, and hire contractors and subcontractors when needed.

Donate gift cards for home stores such as Home Depot, Lowes or Hoods. 

Host a supply drive for items such as:

• Paint brushes and rollers – all sizes;
• Painters tape and tarps;
• Joint compound, spackle, caulk, utility knives;
• Rakes, wheelbarrows, shovels;
• Work gloves;
• Batteries, lightbulbs and furnace filters;
• Gardening tools, tree trimmers, hedge shears;
• Yard waste bags.

Join our volunteer “on call” team for minor repairs – if you have specific skills such as plumbing, electric, carpentry, painting or landscaping, we would love to add you to our list of potential volunteers to contact when specific needs come up. We also could use some volunteers with some “muscle” or who don’t mind getting a little messy.

Gather a group of friends or co-workers and adopt a house for on-going maintenance – a quarterly work day would make a huge difference at any of our homes!

Elaine Powers
elaine@angelsarms.org
314.842.8400