The Guardian ad Litem Foundation – 20th Judicial Circuit is in need of the community’s help in fulfilling the 250 remaining Christmas wishes this year.

Executive Director Jessica Stanfield said the number of foster children they provide Christmas wishes for fluctuates every year as does the number of children they are serving in the five-county area.

Numbers vary by county as well.

“Lee County has the highest need. We are close to 400 wishes this year and that is conservative,” she said. “These children need the normalcy of opening a Christmas gift on Christmas morning. It’s a tall order, but we are going to get it done. By having the community stand behind us, it will help us do that more successful.”

The ages range from 2 months old to 18 and the gift choices are age-appropriate items such as learning toys, games, dolls, clothing, shoes, electronics and gift cards.

The foundation, this year, has a holiday a holiday gift program under way that will help fulfil its Christmas wishes. In years past, they put paper tags all over the community and invited people to take them and shop for children. The foundation’s volunteer advocate talks with the children to find out what they really want for Christmas, which was then placed on the tags, Stanfield said.

With how 2020 panned out with COVID-19, instead of paper tags, the foundation moved to online. Unfortunately with the switch, participation is down, which Stanfield believes may have to do with individuals enjoying more going to the store and purchasing the gift for a child in need.

With the 250 wishes left to be fulfilled, there are a few options for those who wish to help.

Donors can visit https://voicesforkids.org/gal-program/lee-holiday-wishes/ and view individual Christmas wishes and purchase those items. They also can also donate a gift card through https://a.co/4aQt9Q1, which will also fulfil that need.

This holiday season, PNC Bank has pledged to match up to $10,000, which Stanfield said really speaks to there being “truly no gift too small” in terms of a monetary donation.

“That $20 that (someone thinks) is too small is really $40 right now and more than enough to impact a child,” she said.

The foundation began in 1984 and works to make sure that children who are abused, neglected or abandoned have a voice as they navigate through child welfare, judicial and education systems. The foundation provides such services as tutoring, emergency clothing and, since COVID-19, a Chromebook for a child, or internet service, so the child can participate in distance learning.

“We work incredibly hard to make sure a kid is allowed to feel like a kid,” Stanfield said. “I joined the foundation just over a year ago. I was a psychology and social work double major. I always had a love for helping the underserved population, especially children. I spent all of my professional life working in the arts, but missed that tie to children who need someone in their corner. When this position opened, it was fate.”

Although, just like every other not for profit organization, Guardian ad Litem Foundation has experienced a change in funding, but has seen incredibly support from the community with people outside of their doors rallying behind what they do and supporting their mission.

“We have kept our longstanding tradition of not denying a child’s needs request that falls in our guidelines,” she said, adding that during COVID they stepped up and offered additional help. “It’s a wild time, but there is a lot of beauty in it, too. I’m humbled by how much the community stepped up for us.”