OKLAHOMA CITY – – The Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA) through their project OK Foster Wishes is assisting Oklahoma Human Services (OHS) Holiday Hope program in an effort to provide support for foster youth in the state, according to Joe Dorman, OICA’s CEO.

“Our goal is to raise $30,000 – enough to provide 200 gift cards of $150 each to teens in foster care,” Dorman said. “We’ve only raised $1,240 as of Monday, December 1, and that includes one $500 donation.”

OICA has created a link for individuals to directly donate to the program. The donation page is found at https://tinyurl. com/2026HolidayHope. OICA has factored the processing fee for each card into the donation amount at the different levels to ensure all needs are met.

“OHS asked us to take on this teen age range as those are often the ones who it is harder to shop for with items. This holiday season, you have the power to show a young person in foster care that they are seen and deserving of joy,” Dorman said. “These are youth who often feel anguish during a time of year that celebrates family, warmth, and belonging, a time when these children are unable to be with their biological parents.

“These gift cards will provide Oklahoma’s teenaged foster children a chance to choose something for themselves, to experience independence, and feel the joy every young person should during the holidays. Together, we can make certain no young person in Oklahoma foster care feels forgotten. Your support can turn a simple gesture into a lasting message for them: you matter.”

OICA has set up different levels for donations, so a person can give $25, $50, or even donate the full amount for a card, or multiple cards.

“We know many people are struggling financially this year, a clear indicator by the amount which has been raised so far, so we do not want anyone to place themselves in a tougher financial position,” said Dorman. “We are asking Oklahomans to consider helping with this endeavor and to give what you can to ensure these teens have a little brighter holiday season.”

If an Oklahoman would rather contribute to support a local effort working with OHS, locations can be found at https://oklahoma.gov/ okdhs/services/foster/ holidayhope.html for giving. The deadline is approaching quickly to ensure a gift can be sent to a foster youth.