Dear Friends of Fostering Connections,
As we approach the end of 2024, it's hard to believe how quickly the year has flown by. This year holds special significance as Fostering Connections celebrated five years of serving foster and adoptive families across Northeast Florida. I want to express my deepest gratitude to our dedicated board, passionate staff, generous donors, committed volunteers, and incredible clients for all your support and engagement throughout this remarkable year. It truly takes a village to fulfill our mission, and we couldn't do it without each and every one of you.
2024 has been a year of incredible growth for Fostering Connections. We've expanded our program reach throughout the region, launched and sponsored the Florida Youth SHINE Greater Jacksonville Chapter, and laid the foundation for a development program to ensure our sustainability and ability to serve even more youth and families in the future. We're excited to share our full impact report with you in our January 2025 newsletter.
A special thank you goes out to the Holly Jolly Shopping Spree for hosting a successful event in support of Fostering Connections. Together, we raised $5,000 to support our Career Readiness Academy program in St. Johns County, which will make a significant difference in the lives of the teens we serve.
While 2024 may be coming to a close, there's still time to make an impact! We're wrapping up the year with several exciting initiatives:
Annual Holiday Drive: Help us bring joy to foster and adoptive families this holiday season.
Holiday Teen Talk at St. Johns Town Center: An opportunity for teens to connect and engage.
Foster/Adoptive Family Meet-Up at The Playful Family: A fun event for families to come together.
Special Holiday-Themed Florida Youth SHINE Greater Jacksonville Chapter Meeting: Celebrating the season with our youth.
There's still an opportunity to contribute to these initiatives through giving or volunteering. Read more in our newsletter on how you can help.
Looking ahead to 2025, we have much to be excited about! We are eagerly anticipating the rescheduled Big Dill Pickleball Classic and our newest signature event, Art of Family, coming up in March. Be sure to check out the details in this newsletter.
Thank you once again for your unwavering support and partnership. Wishing you and your family a wonderful Christmas and a blessed New Year.
With gratitude,
Aubrie Simpson-Gotham
Founder & CEO, Fostering Connections
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