This holiday season, your generosity turned compassion into action.
Through Upbring’s Hope in Motion Holiday Season, donors, partners and volunteers came together to bring comfort, joy and connection to children and families across Texas. Because of you, the holidays were brighter for thousands of children in our care.
Supporters fulfilled wish lists, provided winter essentials and delivered gifts that created moments of belonging across programs including Foster In Texas (FIT), New Life Children’s Center, BeREAL Supervised Independent Living, Head Start and Early Head Start preschool programs, Krause and Bokenkamp Children’s Shelter’s and Child Wellbeing Zones. Together, 24 churches, businesses and community partners helped ensure children felt seen, supported and celebrated during a meaningful time of year.
As Katie Evans, Upbring’s church and community relations director, shared, “A gift might seem simple but to a child in care it means so much more. It’s a reminder that somebody thought of them, somebody cares.”
Moments That Made the Season Bright
This season, Upbring was honored to welcome leaders from the Lutheran Foundation of the Southwest, whose annual endowment gift reflects a lasting commitment to children and families across Texas.
In Dallas, community partners joined forces at Palladium RedBird Apartments’ Christmas Giveaway, where students from Lancaster International Leadership Academy helped deliver winter clothing directly to families and created meaningful moments of connection.
Thanks to Liberty Mutual Insurance, children also received skateboards, helmets and STEM activity boxes that brought both fun and learning to the season.
One especially powerful moment came from Emmanuel “Manny” Johns, who was placed with his adoptive family through Upbring Foster In Texas as a newborn. Now 17 and working toward his Eagle Scout rank, Manny organized a holiday drive for children in foster care. He collected 90 stuffed animals and 45 children’s books, sharing the same comfort he once received.
For volunteers like Luke Markey, the season is about more than gifts, as he shares, “I think Upbring does such an incredible job at cultivating community at such an important time in a child’s life and without community we don’t have anything.”
For Stacey Flores, who has been part of the Upbring community for nearly a decade and has volunteered for eight years, giving back is deeply meaningful. “It’s very personal to me to know these kids are being thought of and cared for, not just through gifts but through relationships,” she said.
A Message of Thanks From the Upbring Leadership Team
As we close out this season of giving, the Upbring leadership team wants to personally thank you for helping advance child wellbeing across Texas. We invite you to watch this special message from our leaders, sharing their gratitude and reflecting on the difference your generosity continues to make for children and families.