Harbor-UCLA Pediatrics

From Dr. Chrisanna Mink

Hi All,

May is Foster Care Awareness Month. Harbor’s 3rd Annual Foster Care Awareness event is scheduled on Thurs May 13 from 11-3pm in the Hospital Plaza. Thus, my email to you to solicit (yet again) for any items that you might be able to donate.

As you know, our foster care clinic provides care for the children who are placed under LA County’s protective services and we work very closely with the Child Crisis Center, which provides the acute medical care for abused and neglected children. We are a county clinic and we also operate under LA BioMedical Research Institute, our 501-3C philanthropic parent (thus, your donations may be tax-deductible). Needless to say, we have limited resources to provide any “extras” for our foster kids. We use the FCA Day for two purposes: 1) to raise awareness, including information about becoming a foster parent and adopting foster children and 2) to raise funds (through the raffles) for the “non-medical” items needed for the children. For example, some children come to us without having been fed (so we keep healthy snacks on hand) and some come without clothes or their clothes have to be kept as evidence, such as in abuse cases (so we keep some clothing items on hand).

In the past couple of years the items that have been most successful for raffling include tickets to sporting events or local attractions (e.g. Dodgers, Aquarium, Universal Studios), handmade items (art work, baby blankets, etc), SPA visits, and shopping cards. We have also compiled smaller donated items to make theme baskets (e.g. beach day, shopping trips, food baskets) – so no item is too small (or to big) to donate. We welcome almost any new item – say that extra SPA gift card that you don’t want. We always welcome donations of pajamas, which are not raffled but are given to the children – the kids love to get new PJs and they so often need them!! If you have an item to donate, I can pick it up or you can bring it to my house or the KIDS Clinic – whatever works best for you!

Additionally, this year I am distributing information about the county-wide Job Shadow Program for the teens in foster care, which is also in May. The organizers are through the Childrens Law Center, and I can forward the contact info to you, if you are interested.

Thanks to all of you, and please feel free to forward this info to others - I cant tell you how much our patients have benefited from your generosity.

All the best, Chris