While OCH receives the majority of its funding from the State of Illinois, due to budget cuts, the portion of funding received from the State has dramatically been reduced. We need to supplement those monies with private donations in order to continue to enhance our services.
There are several ways in which you can help:
Individual Gifts
Consider OCH when you are making charitable contributions throughout the year or make a donation in honor of someone who has been committed to children. OCH has a Dream Builder Fund to support children’s special needs such as summer camp or continuing education classes.
Sponsor a Foster Child for a Year
You can make a connection with a specific foster child for a year by committing to purchasing a list of items for that foster child such as back-to-school supplies, a winter coat, a Christmas gift, a spring outfit, a birthday bag and a summer wish such as a bike or tickets to Great America..
Gifts-in-kind
Donate items for specific needs, such as new children’s coats, gift cards to local restaurants for activities with the foster children, and gift cards to local stores.
Birthday Bags
Prepare a birthday bag for a foster child. Simply provide a birthday gift (gift cards are best), boxed cake mix, can of frosting & candles in a gift bag. We will provide you with a foster child’s first name, gender, and age. This can be done on an individual basis or as a group project.
Christmas Gift Wish List
OCH works to provide a Christmas gift for every foster child placed with our agency. You can provide a gift for a specific child. We request a Christmas wish-list from our foster children for gift idea’s under $50. The gifts are wrapped in our office and delivered to the children by their caseworkers. We can provide you with a foster child’s first name and their wish in late November.
Donation Drive
You can donate or organize a group to collect items our children are often in need of such as, school supplies, hygiene items, gift certificates, college care packages, winter coats and more!
If you would like to share your resources, donors should contact Kirstin Samp at ksamp@ourchildrenshomestead.org, or call (630) 369-0004.