Make an Impact! Change lives with us.
Voices for Children provides items and experiences for children in the dependency court system. We ensure they have a present on their birthday, new clothing, a comfortable bed, school supplies, toys and games to play with, and the ability to participate in extracurricular activities or a chance to attend summer camp. Our goal at Voices for Children is to improve their lives, providing them solace and encouragement when they need it most. We believe every child deserves the chance to feel like a kid!
Annual Holiday Toy Shop
Each year, with the help of our AMAZING community partners, we have been able to provide HUNDREDS of foster children with gifts to open during the holidays. Help us empower these children and put them on a track to success. Together, we can change a child’s life!
Ways to Support Our Holiday Toy Shop Drive:
- Donate a Gift Virtually: You can “shop” wherever and whenever you like. It’s REALLY easy! Select items from our Amazon wish list, which will be sent directly to our office. We also have gift cards on the list, so our teens are sure to get into the spirit and know someone is thinking of them!
- Monetary Donation: If this is easier, we can shop for you! Your donation will be used to purchase toys and gift cards to help brighten the holiday season for foster kids.
- BE AN EVENT SPONSOR! By being a sponsor, you can help us purchase even more gifts for foster kids and help spread awareness of the event. For sponsorship information, click on the "Become a Toy Shop Sponsor" button.
- Traditional Toy Collection – Host your own toy drive. Download our list of suggested gifts below and share it with friends, family, and coworkers. You can drop items off at our Office at 3314 Henderson Blvd, Suite 207, Tampa 33609.
- You can even get your company and/or employees involved by encouraging donations through the above methods.
Host a Virtual Donation Drive
Do you want to make an even bigger impact in the lives of foster kids? Host a virtual donation drive for your birthday, special occasion, the holidays, or just because you care! Maybe you want to specifically help teens or babies and donate toys or school supplies. Get your family and friends involved by hosting your own virtual drive for us!
Help us supply personal care items to make the lives of foster kids brighter.
Your support helps ensure that foster kids have access to basic hygiene items that will keep them happy, healthy, and feeling fresh and ready for the day!
- Shampoo and Conditioner
- Toothbrushes and Toothpaste
- Deodorant
- Hairbrushes, Combs, and Hair Ties
- Body Wash and Luffas
- Body Lotion and Moisturizers
- Soap and Body Wipes
- Lip Balms
- Nail Clippers and Emory Boards
- Travel Pack Tissues
Children and Teen Book Drive
Studies show that children who enjoy reading and writing and do it regularly outside school are three times more likely to have high levels of mental well-being than those who are less engaged with literacy. Children who read for pleasure are more able to develop the emotional literacy skills that they need to take control of situations where they might feel vulnerable. Reading broadens their vocabulary so they can express their feelings more accurately.
Read books that serve as “windows” and “mirrors.” Books that portray children experiencing similar circumstances and emotions help them realize they aren’t outcasts or alone in what they are dealing with. Books that show children who may be struggling with other types of challenges help children develop empathy and compassion.
Donate a book to a foster kid and open new worlds to them, where stories come alive and imaginations soar.
Crocs and Slides Shoe Drive
Please help make summer special by donating a pair of Crocs or Slides to a deserving foster kid! When entering the foster care system, children are often desperately in need of basic items like clothing and shoes—items we take for granted every day. Crocs and Slides come in universal sizes, allowing us to help as many kids as possible! Just click the link below and send a pair in any size from our Amazon Crocs and Slides Wish List.
Back to School Drive
Please support Voices for Children by participating in our Annual Virtual School Supply Drive. We’ve even made it EASIER THAN EVER by creating an online shopping list. You can purchase school supplies for these deserving children with just a click of a button!
Help us empower these deserving children and put them on a track to success. Together, we can change a child’s life!
Donate to Our Children's Needs Program
Focus areas:
- Education: laptops, iPads, tutoring fees, school supplies, graduation items, and field trips.
- Clothing: new clothes and undergarments, shoes/cleats, jackets, uniforms, and special occasion items.
- Personal/General: eyeglasses, ethnic hair products, and holiday and birthday gifts.
- Experiences: softball/baseball, football, cheerleading, gymnastics/karate classes, summer camp, and theme park tickets.
- Furniture/Bedding: bunk beds, cribs, mattresses, pillows, sheets, and high chairs.
- And so much more!
Support Our Courthouse Dog Program
Through our Courthouse Dog Program, Lorne and Barley provide emotional support to traumatized children who have been victims of abuse, abandonment, and neglect. Our Courthouse Facility Dogs assist children in courtroom testimony, forensic interviews, depositions, and medical exams. They and their handlers educate the public on the importance of the emotional support they provide to foster children navigating the system. Both dogs were raised, trained, and accredited by Canine Companions.
Voices for Children covers all the costs associated with the Courthouse Dog Program and the care and well-being of Lorne and Barley. Because of your generous support, these wonderful dogs and their handlers can continue providing vital support to foster kids who need a supportive furry friend.
Your donation helps cover expenses like:
- Veterinary care and preventive meds
- Food, treats, grooming items, and leashes and collars
- Handler expenses.
- Interactive toys the dogs can use to engage the children, like blocks, puzzles, and books.
- Mini stuffed replicas of Lorne and Barley that we give the children. One child, who is blind, told us that he sleeps with his furry friend every night!
