Foster‑care charity Project Joy launches annual drive; teen volunteer recounts how program helped her

Project Joy, a Marion County partner organization that supports foster, adoptive and relative care families, kicked off its annual toy drive on Nov. 12 with a presentation to county commissioners and a first‑person testimonial from a teen volunteer.

Kathy Bolin, Marion County workforce development coordinator, said the county collaborates with Project Joy each year to reduce the financial burden on resource families and to provide gifts and necessities. She said Marion County staff supported about 30 families and nearly 180 children last year and raised a little over $8,000 in gifts and cash donations.

Erin Hampton of Project Joy introduced Riley, a senior who said she had been in foster care and later joined a permanent family. "I remember the day a volunteer handed me a brand new backpack...It was a powerful message that I mattered," Riley said, describing how items from Project Joy helped her feel secure and begin to trust her adoptive parents.

Bolin said this year’s drive runs from Nov. 17 through Dec. 12 and urged county employees and the public to donate gifts, diapers and toiletries or to make checks payable to the Oregon Resource Family Alliance and deliver them to Courthouse Square, 555 Court Street, HR office, 4th floor.

Commissioners thanked Riley and presenters and agreed to publicize the donation address and logistics; no board action was required for the fundraiser.

Closing note: county staff and Project Joy will coordinate donation logistics and a photo opportunity occurred at the meeting to promote the drive.