Photo by Joseph A. Garcia 
The State of California, like the rest of the country, has experienced an economic downturn unlike anything seen in decades. This has led to a reduction in availability of financial resources for Aspiranet, as our work increases with the growing number of children and families in need. These are difficult times, and difficult times bring with them difficult decisions.
At Aspiranet, we will continue to uphold our commitment to the future of children. Aspiranet touches the lives of over 5,000 children and families every year. Your gift will support children and families we serve statewide: We find loving and nurturing foster and adoptive homes; we work to prevent child abuse and neglect; we provide in-home services to high risk families as they care for their infants and toddlers; we meet the learning and behavioral challenges of troubled adolescent boys; and we help emancipating foster youth transition successfully to emotional and financial independence.
Our vision is to take collective action to support communities as they love and care for children. When we come together to love and care for children, we create stronger, healthier and safer communities.
(CENTRAL CALIFORNIA) Aspiranet, one of the largest foster care and family services agencies in California, invites the community to participate in its annual Holiday 2009 Toy Drive across five counties in Tulare, Kern, Fresno, Kings, and Mariposa.
Through this toy drive, Aspiranet builds a bridge between the generosity of the community and the holiday wishes of foster children. Now through December 20, customers can take “wish ornaments” from 76 Starbucks stores and return them with the child’s holiday “wish” for distribution to the foster children, just in time for the holidays.
“The socially responsible staff of Starbucks motivated their customers to become involved,” and allowed Aspiranet to distribute gifts to a record number of children in 2008,” said Vernon McFarland Brown, CEO of Aspiranet.
“Foster families are our society’s unsung heroes,” notes Jeannie Imelio, Central Valley Regional Director of Aspiranet. “They play a key part in our community, providing homes, care, and support for children of all ages. Their successes are team efforts – partnerships in parenting and community building in which all can play a part; from corporate partners to the support and generosity of everyday citizens, it’s a success story that greatly exceeds the sum of its parts.”
Aspiranet is pleased to announce that the Foster family is featured on a new website called “Picture the Rewards,” which was developed to help Aspiranet’s foster children. 
