Courtesy/Barbara Cotton

NMFFC News:

ALBUQUERQUE — With support from the Nusenda Community Foundation, Blue Cross Blue Shield New Mexico, Walmart Community Grants (from Eubank store #835), the LANL Foundation, and private donors, New Mexico Friends of Foster Children (NMFFC) has announced the expansion of the “It’s Your Birthday!” program.

This program gives each foster child or youth a gift chosen especially for them, along with an age/interest appropriate book and a personalized card. Older youth may opt for a gift card. To participate in this program, foster families, case workers, or other child advocates complete an online request form available on our website (www.nmffc.org). Within the first 10 hours of launch, 12 requests for birthday packages were received from across the state. The program is now available statewide.

“Birthdays may be a time of mixed emotions for children and youth in foster care who may not be accustomed to being acknowledged or feeling special. We want to provide positive memories to these kids who may not smile and laugh as often as they could by celebrating their birthday.” Birthday Program Administrator Barbara Cotton said.

Volunteer opportunities for individuals and businesses are available in support of It’s Your Birthday! Prism Autism Services, a local business, recently donated small gifts such as playdough and legos; their young clients wrapped the gifts and made birthday cards to be added to the birthday packages.

New Mexico Friends of Foster Children also offers assistance to children and youth in state or tribal care for items and experiences that are fundamentally a part of growing up, summer fun and enrichment activities, scholarships, and clothes/footwear. New Mexico Friends of Foster Children wants kids to have the experiences that are what being a kid is all about.