Women fulfill foster teens’ Christmas lists

Foster teenagers often left behind during the holidays are getting lifted by a group determined to provide what’s missing.

The group called SGC Ladies Meet and Greet is meeting the challenge to raise money for Charlotte County teens in foster care for Christmas.

The group was able to get enough money to provide each child with things on their Christmas list.

“I spoke with the coalition last year, and I spoke with the Children’s Network, and I said, where is your biggest need, and your biggest need are for the teenagers?” said Nancy Trotta from the SGC Ladies Meet and Greet.

Trotta and the South Gulf Cove Ladies heard them loud and clear.

“We took on 30 teenagers, OK, in foster care, local teenagers in Charlotte County. They’re the forgotten ones. They’re the ones that everyone forgets about: the 16-to-17-year-olds,” said Trotta.

And they raised an impressive $5,000 and got each teenager every gift they asked for on their list.

“For them, from Harry Potter to makeup to cologne to, you know, pajamas,” said Trotta.

But some may be wondering, what about the rest of the kids in foster care in Charlotte County?

“This is what we call Operation Santa, and so we are the agency that oversees all of the children and families in the dependency system,” said Jennifer O’Bryan, the executive director of Camelot Community Care.

In total, her organization provided gifts for 269 kids, in partnership with the Children’s Network of South Florida.

“Every child needs to feel loved. Every child needs to feel that someone thinks about them, and I think that’s what a gift conveys,” said Michelle Farquharson, the quality management director for Children’s Network of South Florida.

The organizations and the South Gulf Cove Ladies– just like Santa– will return next year to spread holiday cheer.

“I want to tell them that they’re not forgotten, that we do care, OK, and we will be here again next year,” said Trotta.

On Monday, they gathered and organized all of the gifts for foster kids. The ladies hope the work they did will bring lots of smiles to the kids’ faces on Christmas.