There is an ancient saying, It's better to give than to receive. Children in foster care rarely have the opportunity to give something to someone else, and miss out on learning that wonderful feeling. Research shows that giving can have positive long-lasting physical and psychological benefits.
One of our very first programs, BF ELF, was designed specifically to help the kids experience the joy of giving. Each student chooses a gift and a special person that they would like to give it to (we have seen them choose a foster parent, a sibling, a bus driver, and even a BFF staff member). The student is then paired with a donor, who purchases the gift for the student. Our coaches bring the gifts to the kids, along with wrapping paper, ribbons and cards, so they can also learn how to wrap their gifts.
It is one of our most beloved programs, and we are very proud to provide special opportunities, like this one, to better our students' lives. Thank you to everyone who participated in BF ELF!