TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Foster Angels' Shopping Spree Showers Gifts

Tribune photo by MICHAEL SPOONEYBARGER

Hillsborough County Deputy Chad Frisco looks for a toy pots and pans set for a foster child at Wal-Mart today.

ADVERTISEMENT

By LENORA LAKE

llake@tampatrib.com

Published: December 19, 2008

TAMPA - Carol Ann Mullins, a Hillsborough County sheriff's deputy, remembers when her adopted son arrived as a foster child at age 3.

"He came with nothing but the clothes on his back," said Mullins, who each December uses a week's vacation and trades her uniform for a Foster Angels volunteer shirt. She and other members of the nonprofit organization help provide gifts for about 1,500 children in foster care in Hillsborough County.

This morning, Mullins and her 13-year-old son, Nicholas, a middle school student, joined about 25 others as shopping elves to buy items at the New Tampa Wal-Mart Supercenter for 60 foster children.

The participants, who used tags with children's names and wishes, included deputies, sheriff's office Explorer scouts, Foster Angel volunteers and Wal-Mart associates who had been instructed to point out sales.

Store manager Laura DeJesus and her son, Matthew, manager of another Wal-Mart, donated $4,000 to the program. Laura DeJesus said Wal-Mart has participated in the charity program for eight years and believes "it is a great thing" for the children.

The project is organized by Deputy Judy Woster of the sheriff's office crime prevention program, who said this year each child will receive a pair of shoes, some socks and a jacket, in addition to dolls, games, bicycles and other toys.

"I have no kids; this is fun for me and a way to help others," Woster said, adding that the shoppers later would move to another Wal-Mart to buy for 20 children in kinship care or in families that had lost their homes through fire or foreclosure.

Correspondent Lenora Lake can be reached at (813) 865-4851.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT