Hope Connection Santa Barbara County has announced it will be providing a Christmas stocking for every child in foster care in Santa Barbara County.
At a stocking-stuffing event this month at Hope Chapel in Lompoc, volunteers will fill and box up more than 450 stockings that will contain age appropriate, gender specific items for each young recipient.
A new ministry initiative of Hope Chapel-Mission Hills, Hope Connection aims to provide support for foster families and the children in their care throughout Santa Barbara County. Hope Connection is partnering with other churches throughout the county to make that happen.
“This isn’t about us, this is about the kids that are in care in our county,” said co-founder Sandra Byard. “These stockings are meant to let the kids in care know that they are loved and seen this holiday season.”
“We know how daunting the foster care system is to most people,” said Jason Byard, ministry leader and foster parent. “We want to connect people within the churches of Santa Barbara county to the needs of the foster care community in a relational and impactful way.”
The Byard family started their foster care journey in 2015 and is adopting current placements soon.
Christ Presbyterian in Santa Barbara, Anthem Chapel in Goleta, and Life Way Fellowship in Santa Maria have joined with Hope Connection to raise the funds needed to make this project happen.
Corporate sponsors Community Bank of Santa Maria, AdVerb Marketing Group, Postal Annex+ in Buellton, and CoastHills Credit Union are designated as being “In The Business of Hope” in Santa Barbara County.