Dear Editor,

This time of the year is when you see so much about giving and helping. There are many different ways that people can give and help out those who are in need. I encourage everyone out there to do this, not only this time of the year but all year long.

There are many different ways to help/give from helping a local church when they do their hot meal program to getting a name off of an angel tree that are at local businesses. There is one place that many people do not realize are in need of donations. They are in need of donations throughout the year, not just at the holidays. That place would be the Mason County Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) and their foster care system.

I would love to ask that everyone out there sign up to become a foster parent, but I know that foster parenting is not for everyone. What they are in need of backpacks and bags for children to have when they enter the foster system. They are also in need of diapers of all sizes, clothes of all sizes and personal care items (toothbrush, combs, brushes, deodorant, etc). Many times when a child enters the foster system they are not able to bring many if anything with them; many times they only have the clothes they are wearing. When the foster parent gets the phone call that they are having a child placed with them it’s late at night and they are not “prepared”. The DHHR sends the bags, clothes, diapers, and personal care items with the children/foster parents to help make the transition a little smoother.

I encourage everyone out there to help the DHHR with these items. The children placed in the foster system have already been through enough and have a long road ahead of them, being able to have their own toothbrush is a little thing that could make a difference that night.

Thank you,

Alison Allen,

Mason,WV