Equipping The Called

06/03/2026

We need your help spending money! 💰😎 If you have a child in foster care in the Illinois counties we serve, we have a grant to reimburse you up to $150 per child for extracurricular activities. This covers all kinds of fun things. If interested, please email [email protected] with the following:
-906 form for each child
-child’s name and DOB
-name, address and phone number for foster parent
-receipt for activity

Feel free to message with any questions and please share with other foster families!

05/28/2026

Illinois Foster Families-

We are offering another FREE event for our foster families at We Rock the Spectrum in Edwardsville. It will be held on Saturday June 13 from 10am-12 and is open to foster families in the Metro East. Adopted or bio siblings are welcome. It is geared to children 12 and under. We are limited to 40 children.

Please email Liza at [email protected] and cc [email protected]
Include your name, number and address along with the name and DOB of any child who would like to attend.

Please note-socks are no longer required but if they are worn, they must be the grippy type. You can bring your own or buy a pair for $3 at the event.

If you do not have a waiver on file from 2026, please complete one online prior to the event.

We’re looking forward to another great event connecting foster families in a great environment! Light snacks will be provided.

https://werockthespectrumedwardsville.com/

05/27/2026

We are very sad to say goodbye to one of our long time generous donors. Thelma never failed to respond to a need when anything was needed for our foster families. Her love of shopping translated in year round bargains she discovered and shared with the foster closet with joy. Her generous spirit will be missed. Prayers to her family.

Celebrate the life of Thelma Kochan and join others in sharing memories, stories, and condolences.

05/13/2026

UPDATE: We have more requests for tickets than we have available. You are still welcome to email to be put on a waiting list

Illinois foster families: the Cards are off to a great start. We have a limited number of free group tickets for our foster families for the June 1st game at 6:45. Please email [email protected] if you are interested in bringing your immediate family to enjoy this event. If you were able to attend last year, you are free to reach out but priority will be given to families who could not attend last year

04/18/2026

Attention Foster Families in need of diapers-our bimonthly diaper drive-thru event is April 26th. Please email to register. We will also be accepting very gently used spring/summer clothing along with toiletry donations of any type!

If anyone would like to donate size 1 do diapers, please reach out as we currently have NONE in that size. Thank you!

04/16/2026

Have you heard about the connection between swimming and academic performance? If you think it might benefit your child in foster care, please reach out to us! There is a grant available at the Belleville YMCA for a huge discount through The City Museum. If that is not convenient, we offer extracurricular scholarships up to $150 per child. This can be used for swim lessons or other activities. We would love to help get your child involved in an activity!

Beyond the splashes and strokes lies a growing body of evidence showing that regular swimming lessons can significantly benefit a child’s academic journey. From enhanced focus and improved behaviour to better social skills and higher exam performance, swimming offers far more than just water safet...

04/11/2026

Who doesn’t love some local
sports gear? Thanks to Wylie Mediation LLC for this generous donation to help stock our foster closet! We appreciate your generous support of our local foster families!

04/07/2026

A big thanks to the Village of Glen Carbon Senior Center for collecting toiletries for our local foster families. We appreciate your support!

04/07/2026

A big thank you to Wylie Mediation LLC for thinking of our local foster families. We appreciate the generous donation of sporting gear for a new generation of St. Louis sports fans!

We are accepting new or very gently used children’s summer clothing and shoes. Donations will be accepted at the shop from 9-12 on the following Thursdays-April 2, 16 and 30th. Please send a message to set up a time if these dates do not work for you. We are by 100% volunteer and are open by appointment only. Thank you for your support! ❤️