HOLIDAY SPOTLIGHT: Health First Associates Fulfill Wish Lists of Children in Foster Care

By  //  December 17, 2019

Holiday Shopping Stirs Memories of Mom’s Helping Heart

When Rachel was growing up, her mom, Lisa, instilled in her a drive to take care of others – especially the children who found their lives in flux.

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – When Rachel was growing up, her mom, Lisa, instilled in her a drive to take care of others – especially the children who found their lives in flux.

Lisa, who was an employee of Brevard Family Partnership for 20 years, involved her daughter as she helped kids find a sense of normalcy and hope through the foster care system.

“We used to go out and shop for the kids at Christmastime,” Rachel recalled.

“The foster parents would come in…Their kids would wake up in the morning with gifts.”

So, it was bittersweet when Rachel joined her fellow Health First associates to buy gifts for kids under the care of Brevard Family Partnership – the nonprofit to which her mom devoted so much.

This will be Rachel’s second Christmas without Lisa, who died in September 2018.

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But Lisa’s spirit of selflessly caring for others isn’t going anywhere. That was evident earlier this month, as Health First associates filled their carts with items from these children’s wish lists, helping to make their holidays just a little bit brighter.

“She’s definitely here,” Rachel said of her mom, before she and her husband began their quest for presents, their newborn baby girl in tow.

Oakley Anne, who shares the same middle name as her late grandmother, dozed in a carrier as her parents scouted the aisles of Target, doing their part to help children – children who are able to bounce back from life’s challenges, thanks to the love and support of people who care.

People just like Lisa.

“It’s like a full circle,” Rachel said. “She loved giving back to the children.”

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