Life for Relief and Development (LIFE) Helps Michigan Foster Care Children Celebrate the 2025 Holidays

Giving Children the Joy of Giving

Approximately 10,000 children are in foster care across Michigan. For many, the holidays can bring complicated emotions, especially when siblings are living apart or familiar family traditions have changed. Opportunities to connect, celebrate and create positive memories together can carry particular meaning during this time of year. 

From November 1 to December 6, 2025, Life for Relief and Development (LIFE) supported a holiday sibling gift exchange in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The project gave foster children something especially meaningful: the opportunity to choose, wrap and give presents to their brothers and sisters themselves.

The goal was to strengthen sibling connections while giving children a sense of independence, inclusion and normalcy during the holiday season.

291 Children Took Part in the Gift Exchange

The project originally planned to provide approximately 500 items for 250 children. Through careful purchasing and the use of sales and seasonal discounts, the project ultimately made 688 items available to 291 children, exceeding its initial goal.

Children entered a dedicated gift-shopping space where they could select age-appropriate toys they believed their siblings would enjoy. Volunteers then helped them wrap and label their gifts, allowing each child to participate in the entire gift-giving experience, from choosing the present to preparing it for someone they love.

For foster families managing limited budgets, the program also helped relieve some of the financial pressure associated with holiday gifts while ensuring children could experience both the joy of receiving and the pride that comes from giving.

Strengthening Connections Between Siblings

Families shared that the sibling gift exchange was one of the most anticipated parts of the holiday celebration.

One foster parent described the children's excitement:

“They light up and get so excited to find items for each other.”

Another caregiver shared that their daughter remembered the experience from the previous year and specifically asked whether she would be able to shop for her siblings again. After choosing the gifts, she could hardly wait for them to see what she had selected.

For some children, particularly siblings living in separate placements, the exchange provided a rare opportunity to personally choose and prepare something special for one another. One caregiver described a teenager living apart from a much younger sibling who carefully selected and wrapped a gift and was excited to surprise them.

Thank You for Creating Meaningful Holiday Memories

Thanks to LIFE's generous donors, 291 children in Michigan had the opportunity to celebrate their sibling relationships through the simple but meaningful act of choosing and giving a gift.

Your support helps create experiences that remind children they are valued, connected and surrounded by a community that cares.