I am honored to bring this message to you on behalf of Mattress Firm and as a part of the Mom It Forward Blogger Network.
There are a lot of children in need of good homes in this world. There are more than 400 thousand children in the U.S. foster system. Many of these children only own what clothing they are wearing at the time they are relocated. With the cost of raising a child through the age of 17, ranges to nearly $250K, so it’s no wonder that those taking on an additional child might need a little assistance.
Mattress Firm Foster Kids
May is National Foster Care Month, and Mattress Firm is launching a program to benefit children in the foster system with their Mattress Firm Foster Kids campaign. From May 2 – June 26th they are hosting a clothing drive at all of their locations nationwide. The purpose is to collect new or gently used clothing to be donated at each store’s local foster care nonprofit partner for distribution to foster children and foster families in need.
This is one of the six drives that Mattress Firm Foster Kids runs each year to collect essentials like shoes, clothing, pjs and school supplies to allow foster kids a smooth transition into their new homes.
Not everyone can be a foster parent, but anyone can help a foster child. Donating to this worthy cause is one way to make a difference, one child at a time.
Social Media Contest
In conjunction with the clothing drive, Mattress Firm launched Kid Heroes, a social media contest to raise awareness for their Mattress Firm Foster Kids program. The winning kid hero will receive a $500 gift card to Toys “R” Us and a $5,000 donation to the local Mattress Firm Foster Kids nonprofit partner of the winner’s choice.
Entering the contest is simple.
First, you must make a clothing or monetary donation at your local Mattress Firm store and share a photo and caption of your child making an impact for foster children. Clothing should be new or gently used.
You can share your photo one of three ways online beginning Monday, May 2 at 9A.M. CST – Sunday, May 22 at 11:59 P.M. CST.
- Enter by sharing an image on Instagram (be sure to set your account to public or your entry will not be seen) using the hashtag #Donate4FosterKids You will receive a response on your Instagram post from @MattressFirm with a unique URL that you can share with friends and family for voting.
- Enter by sharing an image on Twitter using the hashtag #Donate4FosterKids You will receive a tweet back from @MattressFirm with a unique URL that you can share with friends and family for voting.
- Enter by directly uploading your photo to the contest online at www.MattressFirm.com/KidHeroes, After you navigate to the website, look for the Kid Heroes #Donate4FosterKids content gallery and click “submit an entry.” Then just follow prompts to upload your photo. After uploading your image, you will see a unique bit.ly (shortened URL) at the top of your screen – you can share this URL with friends and family to let them vote for you!
Note: If you use the Instagram or Twitter option, make sure your account is public so your entry can be seen. You can turn your privacy settings back on in a few hours once you’ve submitted your photo OR use the direct upload method if you’d rather not go public at all. Also, make sure your post is a newly uploaded one (not an old one updated with a hashtag).
Tips for photo submissions:
Snap a pic of your child putting clothes in the donation barrels or selling baked goods at school to raise money for National Foster Care Month. Mattress Firm just wants to see that you support the cause!
The photos will be on display in a content gallery on www.MattressFirm.com/KidHeroes, where voting will take place for a chance to win a grand prize of a $500 Toys “R” Us gift card and a $5000 donation to the winner’s choice of affiliated local Mattress Firm Foster Kids partners. Finalists, and later the contest winner, will be determined by the most votes received on the final submission and the top 5 photos with the highest number of votes move onto the Finalist Round from May 23- May 29, with the winner announced the week of May 30.
Even if you don’t enter, you can show your support by visiting the Mattress Firm website to learn about the cause and cast your vote.
Giving new clothing to a foster child can make them feel special. Oftentimes, extended family are caring for children removed from their homes, and they rarely qualify for federal or state stipends, so your donations can greatly help these family members. I used this trip to Mattress Firm as a teaching opportunity – even though my children are little, I was able to explain the concept of foster care for them. I really love being able to teach them compassion for others every chance I can!
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Emilee says
I love that they are doing this. I always love to see companies supporting good causes, and I love that Mattress Firm is also encouraging others to do so as well. We hope to foster in the future, but I love that I can still offer support now.