Congregation Or Ami a friend to foster children

PALS TOGETHER—Laurie Tragen-Boykoff, left, and Shari Gillis pause for a moment among the care packs put together by members of Congregation Or Ami for foster children. When abused and neglected children are pulled from their homes to go into emergency foster placement, they leave with the shirts on their back and little by which to remember family and friends. Most are terrified and confused.

Through a unique relationship with the Department of Children and Family Services, Congregation Or Ami maintains a deep commitment to the community's foster children. For years members have adopted Family Services child abuse caseworkers and sponsored the children in their caseloads.

The department's Adopt a Child Abuse Caseworker program pairs congregants with foster children for birthday celebrations and back to school preparations. The congregation participates in two annual programs, Back to School Child-Spree in July and Holiday Child-Spree in December, during which foster care children use donated gift cards to purchase new substantially discounted clothes and school supplies.

Another project is Prom Prep 101 where mothers and daughters team up to ensure that girls in foster care are able to take part in their high school proms.

In addition, the congregation holds information sessions for Jewish adults to explore the possibility of becoming foster parents.

The centerpiece of the outreach to foster care children comes during Mitzvah Day in November when the congregation creates more than 400 comfort backpacks for children who, in the months to come, will be pulled from their homes to safety.

For the last five years, the community at Congregation Or Ami has provided hundreds of these children with something to call their own. After collecting thousands of new blankets, toothbrushes, stuffed animals, journals, photo albums, games and much more, duffle bags are filled and donated to an emergency foster shelter. The bags created are age and gender appropriate, including pillowcases personalized with messages of hope and "sweet dreams."

Social workers distributing these bags say that when a child is handed one of these packages, personalized with reassuring and comforting messages, they have a moment of consolation and encouragement.

Congregation Or Ami is at 26115 Mureau Road, Calabasas. For details, call (818) 880-4880.