BOISE, Idaho (CBS2) — The Freedom Youth Foundation is all about encouraging growth and creating connections for youth in foster care. This Christmas, they’re focused on spreading joy and creating lasting memories. They held a Christmas event filled with gifts and activities to meet that goal. Mary Irby, the Director of Operation for Freedom Youth Foundation, said, “We want to help the foster youth. Oftentimes they don’t get a traditional Christmas.” While a traditional Christmas may look different for everybody, things like baking cookies or visiting Santa are activities thousands of kids look forward to every year. Irby says many kids in the system may never have had these experiences and Freedom Youth wants to make that happen. She said they want to make kids feel loved and cared for through the activities they planned.

Their Christmas event this weekend was filled with fun, as kids got to decorate cookies and meet Santa. They were also surprised with gifts from their wish lists. The gift-giving was all part of the event, and Freedom Youth started planning months ago. Irby said, “The process started out by sending a survey to all of our foster, kinship, and adopted families, asking them to complete a survey.” The surveys asked questions like gender and age, to help with gift ideas, but also had an area where kids could write down what they wanted most.

Treasure Valley Hospital, Cloverdale Church, CRCA, Capitol High School, and SRA 831 (b) were the five sponsors that made everything happen. Irby says some of them held their own fundraisers and donation drives to help get gifts and by last week every gift was wrapped and tagged for each child. Irby said, “For them to get every single gift that every child put on their list is incredible. It’s overwhelming.” Seven hundred gifts were given out during the event this Saturday. Freedom Youth hopes this becomes an annual event. For those wanting to learn more about the nonprofit, or would like to donate or volunteer, click HERE.