‘Christmas of Hope’ Fundraiser Bringing Joy to Over 600 Foster Children in Joplin

JOPLIN, Mo. — As the holiday lights twinkle across the Four States region and the chill of winter settles in, Joplin’s spirit of generosity is shining brighter than ever. For the 10th consecutive year, the annual Christmas of Hope campaign kicks off this week, uniting schools, businesses, churches, and everyday residents in a heartfelt effort to ensure that more than 600 children in foster care wake up to gifts under the tree on Christmas morning.

“Christmas time money is stretched thin,” said Sarah Burh, Executive Director for Fostering Hope. “A lot of the families that we serve that have kids that are placed in their home have multiple kids, maybe their own kids, kids they’ve adopted. And then they’ve got children that are currently in the foster care system placed with them. So it’s not uncommon for the families we serve to have five, six, seven kids in their home. And we want to just come alongside them at Christmas time, support them, let them know their community cares about them and loves them.”

Organized by Fostering Hope, a faith-based nonprofit dedicated to supporting foster families in Southwest Missouri, the campaign aims to raise $50 per child — totaling over $30,000 — to cover the cost of personalized gifts. 

“We have a lot of kids that will unfortunately come into care around this time of year as well,” Burch said. “It’s typically a high-stress season for families. And so it’s not uncommon for kids to enter foster care during the holiday season. We have our big shopping day on December 10th. We have a way to get the gifts to families ahead of Christmas. But one of the cool things is the money we raise. We’re able to support kids up until Christmas day. If a kid comes into foster care between our shopping day and Christmas day, we’re going to make sure they get covered as well.”

The event’s roots trace back to 2016, when a small group of Joplin educators and radio personalities saw the financial strain holiday shopping placed on foster parents. Partnering with Zimmer Radio’s NewsTalk KZRG and later expanding to include KSYN 92.5, the initiative has grown exponentially. What began as a modest school drive at Franklin Technology Center now encompasses the entire Joplin School District, local businesses, and faith communities like One Church Joplin.

This year’s launch unfolded Monday morning at Franklin Tech, where students adorned a towering Christmas tree with tags bearing foster children’s wish lists — from cozy blankets and art supplies to the latest video games and stuffed animals. 

Last year alone, Joplin Schools raised $6,250 through coin drives, bake sales, and spirit weeks, and organizers are optimistic about surpassing that mark in 2025 amid a surge of early donations.

The campaign’s momentum builds through December. Listeners can sponsor a child’s gifts via text or online, while corporate sponsors like Great Plains Federal Credit Union match funds to amplify the impact. 

For the foster children involved — nearly 480 of whom reside in Jasper County — the event is a lifeline during an often-overlooked season of transition. Fostering Hope estimates that the local foster system serves around 600 youth annually, many entering care with little more than the clothes on their backs. Beyond gifts, the organization provides freezer meals to new placements and monthly spotlights honoring foster parents with date-night vouchers. 

This year, with inflation pinching wallets tighter than ever, participation has spiked, with early reports showing a 15% jump in school pledges.

Volunteers are still needed for shopping shifts at the 15th Street Walmart on December 10, where teams will scour aisles to fulfill wish lists. To get involved, visit fostering-hope.com or tune into KZRG for donation details. 

“This is a great way to get involved,” Burch said. “It’s really fun, especially if you’re a shopper and you love shopping. And for those that can’t support us financially, that is okay. This is another way for people to get involved. So this year, we will kick off the shopping event at 9 a.m. that morning. 

“So for those of you, kickoff is when we all gather together. It’s usually a big crowd. We usually meet in the garden center area, but we’ll have more specific directions as it gets closer. But we kick it off with instructions. You’ll have instructions in your hand, you’ll know what to do. But essentially shoppers will be handed a specific wish list for each of the children that we’re shopping for. It won’t have identifying information on there obviously, but it’ll say you’re shopping for a four year old girl and here’s her favorite colors and here’s her favorite characters and here’s, here’s the list of things she’s hoping for. … We always try to get items number one or two on the list for sure if possible. You’ll go through Walmart, get the items, you can drop the bag, back off with the items to the garden center area and then we’ll cover the cost and make sure it gets to the family.”

For more information on how to sponsor a foster child this holiday season, contact Fostering Hope at their website, or follow their updates on social media.