Editor’s Note: This continues our Celebrate Community series on nonprofit organizations that improve Santa Rosa County residents’ quality of life.
MILTON — In addition to helping meet Santa Rosa County foster kids’ needs, My Father’s Arrows Inc., aims to inform the public on how they can support foster children and those who take care of them, according to President and CEO Sarah Ellis.
Ellis, who with her husband, Jason, have been foster parents for 15 years, said the nonprofit organization wants to start a new conversation after hearing multiple reasons why people can’t take in a foster child.
“The new conversation is, ‘What can you do’ and ‘let’s get you plugged in,’” she said.
Ellis said opportunities abound for residents to show their support in helping guardians ensure foster children have necessities to take care of a child.
One avenue is through the My Father’s Arrows thrift store, located on Elva Street in Milton. Store proceeds benefit the organization, and Ellis said items are given to foster kids and their families.
Residents with a limited budget can support My Father’s Arrows through other means. For example, the thrift store accepts ‘Box Tops for Education’ submissions, which generate 10 cents per top for MFA. Participating products’ box tops can be submitted electronically using code 9677858. In addition to dropping off box tops at the store, they can be mailed to P.O. Box 48, Milton, FL 32572.
The organization also collaborates with Amazon Smile. When shopping at smile.amazon.com, the online retailer will donate .5 percent of the sale of eligible items to MFA when you register the preference.
For the holidays, MFA seeks help to furnish a children’s home in Jay. Ellis said MFA needs items such as mattresses during their White Christmas campaign.
Volunteers are sought for a fellowship meeting on Saturday, Jan. 7 at 2 p.m. The event, which will take place at the children’s facility at 4025 Highway 817, will involve volunteering in preparing the facility for opening along with sharing information on volunteer opportunities.
MFA recently received some assistance from 60 students in Central School’s Senior BETA Club, which donated 70 backpacks to the organization. Ellis said the backpacks, which were full of school supplies and children’s books for elementary and middle school-aged children, would become useful to children in need.
“When a child is going into foster care, they are likely not going to have their school supplies with them,” Ellis said.
She said school supplies are often not considered during the transition in which a child is taken from a home leaving them without the essential tools when going to school.
Whether it’s donating, volunteering or mentoring, Ellis said there are multiple opportunities to assist foster children in need.
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HOW TO HELP
See myfathersarrows.org for more information on My Father’s Arrows Inc. The My Father’s Arrows thrift store, located at 6606 Elva St., in Milton, is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays. The store is closed Sundays.
Editor’s Note: This continues our Celebrate Community series on nonprofit organizations that improve Santa Rosa County residents’ quality of life.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Foster children's advocate seeks donations, volunteers