Wrapped With Love

Friends of Foster Kids founder Theresa Toia and husband Judge Joseph Toia.

“Friends of Foster Kids” spreads Christmas cheer

By Eemi Toma

Long before the holiday music plays and the last gift is wrapped, a small army of volunteers gathers in a Macomb County space to sort, wrap, and organize presents. Each package is assembled with care so that a child in foster care will open something personal and know they are not forgotten. For nearly 20 years, that work has been centered around one woman and a simple promise: to make sure no child in foster care goes without at Christmas.

Theresa Toia started Friends of Foster Kids from her home in 2006, after a moment that would not let her rest. Her daughter Jessica, then a foster care caseworker, told her that for the second year in a row, the children on her caseload had not received Christmas gifts. Theresa remembers feeling shattered. As she wrote, “That should never happen...children lose hope when they feel they are forgotten.” She and a circle of friends put together personalized Christmases for 47 foster children that first year. The effort grew quickly. Today, Friends of Foster Kids is a Macomb County-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that serves more than 2,000 foster children each year and has helped over 22,000 children since its founding.

Theresa and her husband, Circuit Court Judge Joseph Toia, are lifelong Macomb County residents. Their family is closely connected to child welfare and health care. Their daughter Jessica Toia Redford works in child protective services, supervising licensing for Macomb County. Their daughter, Marissa Toia, works in health care while attending nursing school and is a parent herself. These connections, along with Theresa’s lived experience, shaped the vision behind Friends of Foster Kids.

Theresa describes the organization’s core programs as the five C’s: Care, College, Careers, Christmas, and Coalition of Community Commitment. Each area answers a different need for children in care or for youth making the transition into adulthood.

Under Care, Friends of Foster Kids provides essentials when a child enters care. Theresa lists coats, shoes, clothing, hygiene products and a cozy blanket among the basics. For older youth, support shifts toward independence—matching funds for car purchases, auto insurance, rent, school expenses, senior dues and prom costs. Twice a year, senior graduates visit the Prom Room for free formal wear, with young men custom-fitted for suits and accessories.

Theresa recalled one moment that illustrates how quickly the organization responds. A young man bound for Ferris State had fallen behind because he needed to retake a course. Forced out of campus housing, he was living out of his vehicle. He called Theresa for help. “He had nowhere else to turn,” she wrote. The charity paid for the course so he could transfer credits and register for the semester. Theresa coordinated with financial aid, ensuring he could continue his education.

Friends of Foster Kids also invests heavily in higher education and independent living. The College program supplies storage bins, laptops or tablets, school supplies, and dorm or workshop necessities. The organization awards scholarships each year and provides household basics for foster youth moving into independent living.

Career preparation is another pillar. Friends of Foster Kids runs job fairs and life skills programs designed to teach workplace habits, social skills, etiquette, and financial literacy. Theresa explained how they recruit companies to participate with the goal of opening real opportunities for youth. Many companies bring human resources staff who can offer interviews and hiring information on-site. Theresa emphasizes that young people from foster care often have not had the chance to observe workplace norms, so local employers and volunteers step in to provide hands-on training and mentorship.

Of course, the Christmas program remains the heart of the organization. Each year, Theresa and her volunteers build what she calls “their best Christmas ever” by filling wishes, adding cozy blankets and pillows, and including small comfort items like a Beanie Baby wrapped in a hand-crocheted or sewn blanket. Theresa told one story of three siblings who entered care on December 23. Volunteers learned their sizes, favorite colors, and wishes, purchased missing items, and assembled three large Santa bags. The gifts were delivered on Christmas Eve to the placement where the children would wake up on Christmas morning. As Theresa wrote, “If a child comes into care, we take care of them. We have no deadlines for the children.”

Friends of Foster Kids also builds a Coalition of Community Commitment. Theresa calls the volunteers “Angels.” The coalition includes orthodontists who provide braces to restore dental health and self-confidence, CPAs who help working foster youth file taxes at no cost, attorneys who assist with moving violations so insurance costs do not rise, philanthropists who establish scholarships, and police mentors who build long-term relationships. Each volunteer group brings professional skills and human connection that reach far beyond a single holiday.

Theresa described one particularly painful case. After a former foster youth was murdered, her brother—a 20-year-old foster youth—needed funding for his sister’s burial and headstone. Friends of Foster Kids helped cover the cost, preserving the sister’s dignity and supporting the brother as he began to grieve and heal. The organization ensured the family could honor their culture and find closure.

The road to a permanent home was long and filled with obstacles. After being forced out of rented space, Theresa said she was determined to find a year-round location. Securing a mortgage felt daunting, yet she persisted through faith, community support, and the generosity of local donors. Today, the organization has a permanent headquarters.

Theresa is already focused on the next step: building an endowment to ensure the work continues for future generations. As she wrote, “My dream is to create a lasting foundation, an endowment that will secure the future of our mission long after I’m gone. I want this organization to stand as a promise to every foster child that they are never forgotten, that there is a community that believes in them, and that love and hope can change the direction of a life.”

Theresa is clear about what motivates her: lived experience and a sense of responsibility. She said, “My personal values and life experiences are at the very heart of Friends of Foster Kids. I’ve seen firsthand how a child’s life can change when someone simply shows up and cares.” She added that the organization seeks not just to meet material needs but to restore hope and dignity to children who have endured trauma. “Every gift we wrap, every smile we see reminds me why I began this journey,” Theresa wrote. She concluded with conviction: “I will never stop helping the foster children. Because we cannot eliminate the need for foster care, we must continue to find ways to show the children they are not forgotten and people do care.”

She is not alone in the work. Volunteers return year after year. Community professionals donate time and expertise. And among those volunteers is the writer of this piece. I have volunteered with Friends of Foster Kids during the Christmas season for four years, have gathered many families to donate and continue to support the mission alongside other Angels. Each year, I’m reminded that the true spirit of Christmas is found not in what we receive, but in the love we give.

Theresa shared how the gratitude of young people keeps her going. As she reported, “A few of the most meaningful statements I have heard from the youth are that this is the best experience I’ve ever had in foster care, and you made me know that I do matter!” That kind of response is the daily reward for long hours and constant outreach.

For readers who want to help, Theresa welcomes volunteers, donations and professional support. The biggest needs include transportation solutions and help with affordable auto insurance and housing for youth transitioning into independence. The organization accepts clothing, hygiene items, new toys for the Christmas program and financial contributions for scholarships and emergency needs. Theresa is also growing the endowment fund to guarantee long-term stability.

As the holiday season approaches, the warehouse will soon fill with laughter, the rustle of wrapping paper and the steady rhythm of volunteers working late into the night. Each package represents a moment of joy waiting to unfold.

Theresa’s words echo through every act of kindness: “We cannot eliminate the need for foster care, but we must continue to find ways to show these children they are not forgotten, and that people do care.”

More information about Friends of Foster Kids can be found at friendsoffosterkids.org.