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You are here: Home / charity / Giving The Gift of Sleep to a Deserving Foster Family #PeaceonEarth

Giving The Gift of Sleep to a Deserving Foster Family #PeaceonEarth

December 19, 2016 by Beeb 32 Comments

Merry Christmas

Thank you to Pampers for generously donating a gift card to provide the gift of sleep! MomStart is a Pampers Baby Board member, and all opinions are our own.

The holiday season is a time of good cheer, sharing, and giving; a time to tell people what their presence means to us. That’s why every year, Pampers enlists the members of its Baby Board to become “Pampers Elves”, providing a gift card to pay it forward to a deserving family. I’ve participated in this project once before, and I was privileged to have the opportunity to do it again this year.

Pampers provided me with a $500 American Express gift card to give the gift of peaceful sleep to someone with a baby in need – be it a family, charity, or other community organization that helps infants. It was up to me who I chose and how I spent it, and I knew instantly the perfect recipient: My cousin, Shelby. Not only are she and her husband Luke active in their church community and busy parents of their 3-year-old son Judah, but this year, they also decided to become a foster family. I’ve been so impressed with how they’ve opened their home and hearts to foster children, and couldn’t think of a better place to put this gift to use!

Did you know that in Oregon alone, 11,238 children spent at least one day in some kind of foster care in 2015? Although there are a variety of complex factors as to why this happens, the top reasons for entering foster care include neglect and parental drug abuse. For kids in stable homes, the Christmas season means getting excited for gifts, Santa, and family fun; but sadly, there are many children in our community who do not even have their basic needs provided to them.

To answer this need, Shelby and Luke became foster parents and started providing emergency respite care. When children are removed from a situation that is immediately dangerous – for example, abuse is occurring, or a parent is arrested – emergency respite care is arranged for a day or two while the state assesses the situation and determines placement. Respite care is also used as babysitting for families who need a break. There is an extreme lack of respite care options in Oregon at the moment, which has resulted in children spending the night in DHS offices or even in hotels. Shelby’s family is doing what they can to help these kids and provide some sense of safety and comfort in an unfathomably tumultuous situation.

In addition to providing a temporary safe haven for children through respite care, Shelby’s family also takes in longer-term placements. Earlier this summer, they took care of a child for many months who was then successfully reunited with their mother. 56.1% of children leaving foster care were reunited with their families in 2015, so the idea is to show compassion and give hope to, ideally, fix the issues in the home to make it safe for the child to return.

When I reached out to Shelby to tell her about my project, she told me that it was perfect timing because they had just gotten a new foster baby the day before – talk about serendipity! Their family had just moved into a new home over the summer, so I told her to make a list of some things they might need around the house to rest easier, and we made a date to go shopping together so she could pick out exactly what she needed.

We had a fun family day out planned to grab lunch, hang out, and do some shopping. I piled in the car with Shelby, Judah, and her newborn foster baby, a sweet little girl. We were joined by Shelby’s stepmom, brother, and his girlfriend, and it was so much fun! This was the first time I’d seen Shelby’s new home, so we took a look around and brainstormed some ideas for what to get at the store.

Shopping with Shelby

Shopping with Shelby! Photo by Kim.

First, we stopped at the local Grocery Outlet to pick up a mattress topper to make Shelby’s bed more comfortable. We also picked up a set of cube organizer shelves, so that Judah would have a nightstand in his bedroom.

Judah helps us shop!

Judah helps us shop!

Next up, we went to Target to do some serious shopping! First, we stocked up on Pampers diapers and wipes – as you can imagine, the family goes through a lot of those, and Shelby told me she loved Pampers because she finds they never leak. That definitely helps the whole family rest easier!

Formula Pro
Our next pick was a Baby Brezza Formula Pro. I would liken this machine to a Keurig for infants, because it automatically mixes and heats a perfect bottle every time. In Shelby’s home, the crib is next to her bed upstairs, so when she and her husband get up in the night to feed the baby, they have to walk down a long set of stairs and wind through the house to the kitchen. Inevitably, they end up making this trek several times a night to re-heat water for the bottles. She is going to put this Formula Pro in their bedroom to eliminate walking all over the house and fumbling with bottles in the dark. This is going to help everyone sleep better!

Another item we picked up to help with those nighttime feedings was an adjustable lamp to put by their bed. We picked out a lamp with three bulbs that can be aimed to provide soft, unobtrusive light. This way, they can see what they’re doing in the night without blasting everyone with the overhead light and making it harder to go to sleep. Shelby also mentioned that many of the foster children that have come to her home actually prefer to sleep with lights on, so a soft lamp can provide some peace of mind and make it easier to rest.

Picking out lamps in Target

Picking out lamps in Target

Shelby is used to focusing all her shopping and attention on the kids, so I insisted that she pick up some cozy pajama pants and slippers for herself. She said she felt almost guilty getting all of these things, since she’s not used to “Splurging” on herself – which is exactly why she deserves it so much!

The Gift of Sleep
Once we got home, we set the items under the tree and thanked Pampers for the wonderful holiday gift they had enabled by providing this shopping trip!

Family photo by the tree

Photo by Chara Renee Photography

Then we unpacked the shopping haul and got the new furniture set up!

Cozy new bedroom

Cozy new bedroom with soft lamp, mattress topper and jammies!

Judah's room

Judah’s room – the crates will be replaced now that he has a new nightstand!

Judah puts away the diapers

Judah puts away the diapers

Our whole family is so grateful to Pampers for their generosity in this project. Getting the chance to be a “Pampers Elf” and take Shelby shopping with the gift card they provided was the most fun Christmas memory for all of us! Everything we picked out will be a incredible help to help everyone get a better night’s sleep – from cozy and practical items to help these busy foster parents sleep a little more easily, to diapers to keep their children drier overnight, to lamps and formula makers to help give their foster children comfort and peace during their moment of need. People like Shelby and Luke make the world a better place for children, and I truly thank Pampers for helping them in their important mission!

Shelby and the kids

Shelby and the kids

Click here for more resources and information on foster care in Oregon. If you’d like to help a foster child but don’t know any foster families personally, you can create a Welcome Box for a foster child to be distributed by Embrace Oregon. Thank you again to Pampers for supporting this important cause!

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About Beeb

Beeb is a British journalist living on the north Oregon coast. Blogging since 2008, she covers everything from coupons to contests in addition to running a network connecting UK bloggers with brands. In her free time, she loves to drink coffee, watch reality TV, and spend time with her fiancé, Jai. Join her on Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+BeebAshcroft/

Comments

  1. Stacie @ Divine Lifestyle says

    December 19, 2016 at 11:00 am

    I LOVE the way you guys gave back to those who really needed it. That was such a wonderful, special idea. That’s the spirit of Christmas.

    Reply
  2. Colleen Lanin says

    December 19, 2016 at 11:06 am

    THIS! This is what the season is all about. Christmas is a time to spread joy to everyone, especially those who are less fortunate or struggling in some way.

    Reply
  3. Pam Wattenbarger says

    December 19, 2016 at 11:34 am

    I have heard awesome things about the Baby Brezza Pro. How great that you were able to help such a deserving family. You can never have too many Pampers.

    Reply
  4. Catherine S says

    December 19, 2016 at 12:13 pm

    This is so great and it is so nice to see that Pampers is helping out. How awesome that you are able to help other especially this time of year.

    Reply
  5. Kim Raichl says

    December 19, 2016 at 12:58 pm

    What an wonderful article, made me cry. Beeb and Pampers are the best.

    Reply
  6. Reesa Lewandowski says

    December 19, 2016 at 2:27 pm

    What an amazing way to give back to someone deserving!

    Reply
  7. Liz Mays says

    December 19, 2016 at 5:00 pm

    Oh this is so nice! It’s great that these gifts will help the kids so much! The light was a good pick!

    Reply
  8. Jeanine says

    December 19, 2016 at 5:24 pm

    Tis the season for giving back! This is awesome, and really amazing way to give to back. This will be so helpful!

    Reply
  9. Lisa Favre says

    December 19, 2016 at 5:32 pm

    Can I just say that the first photo is absolutely adorable? It’s definitely the time of year to give back!!

    Reply
  10. Dana Vento says

    December 19, 2016 at 6:38 pm

    Giving back is the greatest feeling! This is really nice! Pampers are the best!

    Reply
  11. DogVills says

    December 19, 2016 at 6:39 pm

    I’m glad that Pampers is giving out back to the community! This was really helpful.

    Reply
  12. Felicia says

    December 19, 2016 at 6:48 pm

    Yes! This is beautiful. I adore what Pampers does for families every single day.

    Reply
  13. Diana says

    December 19, 2016 at 8:13 pm

    What a sweet thing to do! The holidays are the best because of the spirit of giving! Way to go Pampers!

    Reply
  14. Kita Bryant says

    December 19, 2016 at 8:16 pm

    It sounds like you chose the perfect family to get this! What a wonderful Christmas for them.

    Reply
  15. Sheena Tatum says

    December 19, 2016 at 8:17 pm

    This is absolutely wonderful that you AND Pampers took the time to do this. The season of giving!

    Reply
  16. Crystal says

    December 19, 2016 at 10:23 pm

    How sweet is that! Waking up in the middle of the night with an unhappy baby is no fun. We always relied on Pampers.

    Reply
  17. Toni | Boulder Locavore says

    December 20, 2016 at 2:48 am

    This is really amazing! Love that Pampers supports this project!

    Reply
  18. Ann Bacciaglia says

    December 20, 2016 at 7:38 am

    Pampers is an amazing company. I would have loved the Baby Brezza Formula Pro when my kids were little. I have a friend that is expecting. It would be a fantastic baby shower gift.

    Reply
  19. Seattle Travel Blogger says

    December 20, 2016 at 7:59 am

    I really like your pictures.
    You look so natural in them.

    Reply
  20. Jana Seitzer says

    December 20, 2016 at 8:49 am

    This is incredible and heartwarming and so lovely to see. Thanks for giving back to our community!

    Reply
  21. Meagan says

    December 20, 2016 at 9:19 am

    This is so great

    Reply
  22. Leigh Borders says

    December 20, 2016 at 11:25 am

    What a sweet idea. We actually did this a few years ago and it is one of my fondest memories.

    Reply
  23. Rosey says

    December 20, 2016 at 2:11 pm

    I love that you donated to your cousin. And kudos to her and her husband for opeing up their home.

    Reply
  24. Natalie says

    December 21, 2016 at 2:18 pm

    What a great way to give back and help others!

    Reply
  25. Becky Richardson says

    December 21, 2016 at 3:45 pm

    Thanks for giving back to those in need.

    Reply
  26. Onyinye Elochukwu says

    December 21, 2016 at 6:17 pm

    This is so sweet and amazing. Helping someone in need is always fulfilling especially during the holidays.

    Reply
  27. Julie Wood says

    December 23, 2016 at 4:47 am

    This is such a good way to give back to this Mom and she deserves it for taking in foster kids. I think it is so sad that there are not enough foster families to help these kids. Keep up the good work and Pampers is incredible to help this family out!

    Reply
  28. Rust says

    December 24, 2016 at 4:21 pm

    What a nice post to read on Christmas Eve. Fostering is such a special way of giving back. I am glad you and Pampers are together on this.

    Reply
  29. shelly peterson says

    December 25, 2016 at 12:49 am

    What a great story. It’s so great that through Pampers that you were able to help this family put.

    Reply
  30. Catherine says

    December 28, 2016 at 3:14 am

    What a worthy cause … hope you helped a ton of people this year!

    Reply
  31. Wendy R. says

    December 28, 2016 at 3:40 pm

    Wow, such a great thing to do! That Baby Brezza Formula Pro is such a wonderful gift too.

    Reply
  32. MaryAnn says

    December 30, 2016 at 10:32 pm

    I think it is wonderful when good people open their homes to foster children. It is so hard on these children and having a good home makes things a little less stressful.

    Reply

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