Local businesses unite to deliver Christmas cheer to Utah County children in foster care
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- Families and kids surround a table manned by Joel Melton of Xlear during a holiday event at Utah Foster Care in Orem on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024.
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- Families and individuals are shown riding on a trailer during Xlear’s Santa Sleigh event at Utah Foster Care on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024.
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- Families and kids are shown on a trailer at the Utah Foster Care office during Xlear’s Santa Sleigh event Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024.
The Christmas season is known as a time to celebrate family, faith, love, joy and giving, but that’s not always the case for some children.
The holidays can be emotionally taxing for kids in foster care who already have endured challenging circumstances in their lives while trying to adjust to new living situations.
In efforts to help eliminate some of the stress and grief amid the festive season, American Fork-based Xlear, a consumer wellness company, joined together with other Utah businesses to deliver hundreds of gifts to dozens of Utah County families and children who are in the Utah Foster Care system.
The Dec. 7 event, dubbed Xlear’s Santa Sleigh, at Utah Foster Care’s Orem facility provided nearly 200 children the opportunity to meet with Santa Claus, ride in an antique truck, participate in craft projects, decorate cookies and, of course, pick out the gift of their choice.
Alex Marvin, a current foster mom of two toddlers, said it was a joy to see their faces light up during the event.
“You get to see the joy, the sparkle in kids’ eyes, when they know they’re important, when they know they’re cared about, when they know that they are in a place where they feel loved and that it’s safe,” Marvin said.
She and her husband decided to foster their two children after recently moving back to Utah County.
Marvin said they had the means to give back and open their home to foster children for what’s become a rewarding experience.
“There’s genuinely nothing in our life that’s more fulfilling than doing foster care, than being able to provide love and care for a child that needs it,” she said.
There are more than 2,000 kids in foster care across Utah, and the organization says events like this helps provide hope and healing for children navigating difficult factors in their lives.
“These events help them feel seen, loved and appreciated, which is a huge boost when they’re already doing such a hard thing and under chaotic and difficult circumstances,” said Crystal Ashton, director of development for Utah Foster Care.
She explained that while the nonprofit works in conjunction with the state, it also heavily relies on community donations.
“To be able to have partnerships like this with Xlear and other community partners makes a big difference and allows us to be able to run a lot of the programs that we do for our foster families,” Ashton said.
This year marked the second event Xlear has partnered with Utah Foster Care for. The past two years, the company worked with other organizations to provide joy to children for the holidays.
“We love partnering with Utah Foster Care and seeing the joy events like this bring to families and children. It’s inspiring to witness the positive, lasting impact they create, which aligns closely with Xlear’s mission to support lasting health” said Joel Melton, marketing director for Xlear.
The company, along with partnering organizations like Endzone Toys, Blickenstaff’s, Stampin’ Up, Wicked Audio, the Richard W. Erickson Foundation and Macey’s, pulled together a combined $25,000 worth of gifts and supplies to be distributed to kids and families at the event.
For Marvin and her husband, who are still fairly new to fostering, she says it’s comforting to meet other foster families to build a sense of community for children who are trying to make the best out of unimaginable situations.
“I think that’s so important because it can get lonely. But these types of events really make it so you know there are people that care about you and know that foster care is such an important thing to be doing,” she said.
