Foster Hope
Bringing Hope to those in Care
-
Hope - for something betterLove - without boundaries
Support - without judgement
Kindness - within communities
-
We believe that every child in care deserves to know that their community cares about them. We strive to make this mission a reality by providing children with necessities to ease the transitional period for them and their new caregivers.
About Us
Foster Hope was started by two ladies in Auckland who are both huge supporters of helping others. They came up with an idea to help caregivers with practical support when they needed it most; when a child turns up on their door step late at night with very little and in some cases a rubbish bag of belongings.
‘Kits2Kids, as it was originally known, delivered its very first backpacks of essentials items throughout the Auckland area in 2010. Foster Hope has since grown from the early days and now has branches of volunteers throughout New Zealand, eager to support their region’s caregivers.
We rely on the incredible support of our community through both monetary and physical donations, alongside grants from both the public and private sectors.
As a policy, we do not apply to Lotto or Pub charities, as we feel this can be the underlying cause of the breakdown of so many families.
Foster Hope Charitable Trust is a registered charitable entity in terms of the Charities Act 2005. Registration No. CC43568.
Our Purpose & Mission
Foster Hope Charitable Trust believes that every child in care deserves to know that their community cares about them.
How to help us
Foster Hope Charitable Trust is an NZ Registered Charity (Charity No.: CC43568). An emailed Donation Receipt will be automatically sent upon receipt of your donation. All monetary donations are tax deductible. All donations are in New Zealand dollars and are GST-exempt.
You can either pay by POLi or credit card (Visa or Mastercard). If you choose to pay by credit card, a 2.5% fee will be added to your total donation (to cover merchant fees). There are no fees if you pay by POLi.
Please click on one of the items below to select the type of donation you would like to make.
Thank you for your support!
-
‘Adopt an Agency’ is a programme Foster Hope has implemented with businesses and other organisations who step in as the drop-off point for fostering agencies in their area. As many of our branches cover a large geographical area it is beneficial to all parties to help bridge these gaps. Companies can help with PJ Drives or Christmas Gift Drives, and directly deliver these items to the agency near them.
How it Works
After expressing your interest in ‘Adopt an Agency’ we match you with a local fostering agency. By deciding to get involved you promote the collection of PJ’s and Christmas gifts for Foster Hope throughout your staff, customers, suppliers, contractors and all others affiliated with your organisation.
Foster Hope will provide email templates for you to distribute through your networks and tools to promote with on your social media. Your organisations can also promote offline, via signs and collection boxes at reception. Items are then brought into your premises as the drop off point, then delivered to your adopted agency once the drive end date is reached (or the agency comes to you, whichever arrangement you come to).
Why should you ‘Adopt an Agency’?
It gives us a more efficient system of distribution to agencies – local businesses working with local agencies.
Your organisation can help bring lasting change in the community, and be part of breaking the cycle of neglect and poverty.
You can build a profile as a caring corporate citizen.
Your organisation can increase staff engagement through active participation in this charitable cause.
There is no financial contribution to Foster Hope required (although always welcomed!).
Assist with Pyjama and Christmas Gift Drives
We always welcome the opportunity for organisations to become collection points.
By adopting an agency, you are not only providing a helping hand in fundraising efforts but are also relieving our volunteers of added pressure during the busiest times of the year. It means the world to us!
-
Our backpacks are filled with essential items for a child entering into care. For many of these children, it can be the very first time they have received items that they can call their own. During this extremely stressful time in their lives, our backpacks can bring a little joy and hope.
We rely on donations from the public to help us make and send out as many packs each year as we can. Please note that all goods received need to be from a smoke-free home. Thank you so much for your support.
Here is a list of some of the different items that we collect to go inside the backpacks that we send out. All the items are new with a few exceptions as listed below.
These items must be brand new:
Small toy (age 2-11)
Infant toothbrushes and toothpaste
Kids toothbrushes and toothpaste
Adult toothbrushes and toothpaste
Baby soap & Baby shampoo
Nappies (all sizes)
Baby Wipes
Bib
Soap & Shampoo (250mls or less)
Facecloth
Roll on Deodorant
Comb
Sanitary products
Underwear (age 2-18)
Bath towels
These items can be brand new or in excellent used condition:
Soft toy (excellent condition, washed and under 30cm)
Books (excellent condition, all ages and appropriate content)
We make up backpacks filled with essential items to give to children going into care. For many of these children, it can be the very first time they have received items that they can call their own
-
We support caregivers with the cost of camps and items that children may need to attend. These camps can be an extremely rewarding experience for the children as well as an opportunity to provide caregivers with some downtime.
The cost of the camps varies so if you would like to know more about how you can help with this funding please reach out to our branch co-ordinators.
Your donation will go towards supporting a child in care to attend a camp or items required for their camp.
-
Every year Foster Hope collects new, unwrapped Christmas presents for children in care throughout New Zealand. Many children enter emergency service facilities during the Christmas period, and we would love your support. Sadly, the festive season is a peak time for child protection agencies that are faced daily with the reality and severity of child abuse, neglect, and crisis in our local communities.
Our aim is to bring a little bit of sunshine and hope to our most vulnerable children. If you would like to donate a present (unwrapped, please) check our drop-off points throughout the country.
While our official cut-off date for these gifts is the 5th of December, it would be wonderful to have the bulk of the gifts in by the 1st of December. This will give us time to distribute them to social workers around the country and account for any additional presents needed ourselves.
Download our Christmas Flyer below for your office.
We collect new, unwrapped Christmas gifts for children in care throughout New Zealand.
-
Do you love to quilt, knit or crochet?
We would love to have you join us in supporting children in care. There is nothing nicer than a handcrafted item that we can include in our backpacks.
The children have loved these items in the past and knowing someone has made something especially for them is an amazing feeling.
We would love for you to get involved; items can be dropped off at collection points around the country.
-
Our backpacks include a wide variety of items that are donated or purchased through monetary donations. We take great pride in making sure all the items that are included in our backpacks are in new (or great) condition. Our branches are staffed solely by volunteers and as a guide, we only ever include goods that we would consider appropriate for our own children.
Please note that all items received must be from a smoke-free home. Please ensure that all pre-loved clothing and linen have been freshly laundered before it is donated.
Toiletries
We are constantly in need of toiletries for children from birth to 18 years old, eg. toothpaste, toothbrushes, body wash, soap, flannels, roll-on deodorant, shampoo and conditioner.
New Underwear
We are always in need of donations of new underwear for ages 2 to 18 years. We would love your support if you wanted to pop some in your trolley next time you are out shopping.
Please note that we only ever accept new underwear. Anything we can do to help them feel loved and valued is a huge part of what we do.
Here are some ways you can help us reach our goal of collecting 5,000 pairs a year:
By donating underwear: These could be from you personally or a pop-up box at your work/gym/hairdresser/kindergarten/school.
By holding an ‘Undies on the Outside’ party: Who doesn’t want to be “Superman” or “Superwoman” once in a while? Have some fun with this theme and have your friends bring along some new underwear as a cover charge. If they don’t manage to pick some up in time, they can donate online and we will go shopping. It couldn’t be easier or more fun.
By donating money: All monetary donations will go towards purchasing underwear if you select the Underwear item on our Donate page.
Clothing
Due to the immediacy of the circumstances in which children are taken into care, they may only have the clothes which they are wearing at that time. It can take a while before the caregiver receives their clothing allowance for the child.
At Foster Hope, we have a wonderful bunch of volunteers who put together bags filled with a range of clothing items for a specific age. We accept new and gently used condition clothes only which have been recently washed and come from a smoke-free home.
Please ensure that every item of clothing you donate is clean and in perfect condition, (no rips, stains, etc)
-
How about a party with a twist?
Instead of receiving a gift, why not ask guests to bring a gift for a child in care?
This is a wonderful way to highlight how Foster Hope supports children in care. It can also be an opportunity for your family to learn about children less fortunate than themselves and begin the journey of giving.
-
Sign up today and start saving.
The Entertainment App is filled with thousands of local and national offers and rewards on dining, shopping, and things to do in New Zealand and Australia. By purchasing the Entertainment App for a 3, 12, or 24-month period and choosing a city or multi cities you will save money whilst 20% of your purchase price goes to your chosen charity, Foster Hope.
-
Our ‘Flat Packs’ are designed for young people who are aging out of care into their very first flat. We work in partnership with organisations that mentor young people through this stage, giving them a flat pack to support their move into adulthood. We want to show these teenagers that there is a whole community out there that really cares and wants to support them through this next transition of their life.
These flat packs contain new household items which fit inside a Flexi tub. Each flat pack can cost anywhere from $150 to $250 depending on the items requested or needed at the time.
Due to storage capacity, we only receive monetary donations towards the flat packs so that we are able to purchase these items new and as soon as they are needed.
These flat packs contain new household items which fit inside a Flexi tub. Each flat pack costs approximately $150 to put together.
-
You will have the opportunity to transform a child’s life.
Foster parents are ordinary people who do an extraordinary job in providing love, care, and support for children in need of a stable, loving environment. Whilst fostering can be immensely rewarding, it is also an incredible commitment to some extremely tough times. However, you will have the opportunity to transform a child’s life and give them the guidance and understanding they need.
Fostering a child does not necessarily mean having a child in your home for a long length of time. You may opt to help with respite care for other caregivers or you may offer short-term or emergency placement.
If you feel this is something you are interested in, please do not hesitate to contact the following agencies for further information.
Agencies
-
Our inaugural Purple Hope Day was proudly celebrated on 21st November 2017, commemorating the third anniversary of the untimely passing of Auckland toddler, Valentina Warren. Initiated by Valentina’s devoted parents, and in association with Foster Hope, Purple Hope Day celebrates the life of Valentina whilst treating children in care with a truly memorable day of fun.
Valentina is remembered by her parents as a particularly loving, empathetic and compassionate child and Purple Hope Day is the perfect way to honour the memory of their very special daughter. Sophia says Valentina’s empathetic nature aligns with the values of Foster Hope. “Foster Hope felt like a really good fit and I definitely think this is something Valentina would be drawn to and feel really proud to be a part of.”
Dubbed Purple Heart Day in honour of Valentina’s favourite hue, participants and supporters are encouraged to wear their favourite purple outfits to commemorate the Auckland toddler and her devoted family. “She was drawn to anything purple. For me, now, since she’s passed, I’m drawn to anything purple as well,” says Sophia. Purple Heart Day is a day to spread joy and happiness to these special children in the lead up to what can be a challenging time of year.
Throughout the year Valentina’s mother Sophia coordinates fundraising initiatives such as movie screenings and premieres, to raise funds to provide an exciting day for children in care in the lead up to Christmas.
In the past Purple Hope Day outings have been celebrated at Kiwi Valley Farm in Henderson Valley, with close to 150 children in care enjoying an incredibly special day in Valentina’s memory. And recently our Purple Hope Day treated 750 children in care and their families to an exciting day trip to the Auckland Zoo which is our largest event ever.
So, if you would like to be a part of this very special day and support over 100 children in care (celebrating in Valentina’s honour) please click the donate button.
All donations are tax deductible and are very gratefully received.
Money donated goes towards funding a fun Purple Hope Day for as many children in care as possible.
-
Our annual pyjama drive is held in the lead up to every winter. We always ask for new pyjamas because so often many of these children have never had a brand-new pair of their very own. With your help we can provide children in care with snuggly pyjamas to keep them toasty warm in those winter months.
Any donations of new summer pyjamas are also greatly appreciated. These can be distributed over the summer months to children going into care.
Here are some ways you can help us reach our goal of collecting 10,000 pairs of pyjamas a year:
By donating Pyjamas: These donations could be personal, corporate, or even from a pop-up box at your local school or organisation. Grab some friends and get creative with it!
Have you ever wished you could go to school / work in your pyjamas? Well, now you can and for a good cause too! Just set a date when the staff/pupils of your organisation are welcome to wear their pyjamas for the day. Ask them to bring a gold coin or a pair of pyjamas for this great cause. It couldn’t be easier or more fun!
By donating money: All monetary donations will go towards purchasing pyjamas if you select the ‘Pyjamas’ item on our Donate Now page.
