Tatyahna’s Story in Her Own Words

It is not a coincidence that God’s allowed me to bless the same organization that not only I, but both my sisters were adopted out of; it’s just a fraction of how faithful and how good He is.

Now God has blessed me with the opportunity to stand in the gap for the foster kids, as I once was. Like Philippians 2:13 says “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him”. We are called to serve God, that means we serve his people and that is what I’ve committed my life to doing.

I’m a Girl Scout as I have been for the past 13 years now, and I’m currently working on my Gold Award.  The Gold Award is so tedious that it’s only earned by 5.4% of Girl Scouts in the US yearly.

I got the backpacks/school supplies by speaking at my church, reaching out to my Home- Schooling group for donations, and the community at large. Let me just say I was so beyond shocked and blessed by how the Lord exceeded my expectations! I also received the Christmas stockings the same way by speaking at church, my Home-Schooling group and the community at large.

If you gain one thing from my testimony, I hope that it is not about what a great person I am, but how good and faithful our God is. Without his faithfulness, and of course my family, I honestly don’t know where I would be today! 

All the honor, glory, and praise go to Him. 

2023 Christmas Event

On December 9, 2023, ACFPA hosted its annual Christmas celebration at the New Life Church in Dublin. This was an ACFPA member-only event. Ninety-one (91) ACFPA members and 244 children-in-care attended this walk-through event.

The church was transformed into a winter wonderland. The main hall was decorated with a towering Christmas tree and beautiful Holiday village scene. Friendly volunteers greeted the guests with signs saying “Glad you are here”. There were different stations set up throughout the main hall where guests could pick up stuffed backpacks, packages of Christmas cookies and red bags filled with pijamas and toys. In the corner of the main hall, the star of the show, Santa (AKA Charles Bracey, ACFPA Vice President) and his elves greeted the kids, took pictures with families and gave out stuffed Christmas stockings containing small toys, candies and other fun treats.

Inside the sanctuary, the mood was even more magical. Multiple Christmas trees and other decorations with twinkling lights and a video of a cozy fireplace created a glorious sense of warmth and peace. The room was filled with excitement as kids were escorted to the popular toy section, where they explored the array of new toys, selecting their favorites to fill their huge shopping bags.

The older kids and teenagers stopped at the teen table where they could choose from a variety of fun gift options like blankets, art supplies, sport equipment, journals and puzzles and collected their individual gift cards.

As always, this event would not have been possible without the generosity of our partners and volunteers, most importantly, New Life Church of Dublin for allowing the use of their beautiful space for this event and for creating such a magical Christmas experience. We are also grateful to members of the church for their donation of red bags filled with new pajamas and toys, and for volunteering to greet and guide the guests through the event, ensuring a fun and organized experience.

ACFPA would also like to thank First Presbyterian Church for their donation of Target Gift Cards for teens. Their partnership and generosity throughout the years has been a huge blessing and we are so appreciative of their ongoing support.

A huge thank you to Tatyahna Munoz who organized both the backpack collection and Christmas stockings. This isn’t the first time Taty, 18 years old, has supported the ACFPA through her fundraising and other efforts. To learn more about this amazing young lady, read about Taty in her own words here.

Finally, we are grateful to our corporate and private donors for their support and to the Children’s Place, the Pajama Program, Toys for Tots and the Alameda County Sheriff Department for their donations of toys and pjs.

Check our photo and video gallery page to see more pictures.

ACFPA Member Only Bike Give-Away

This year, once again, ACFPA has partnered with Kids Bike Lane to give out free bikes to children in care. Bikes are available for all children LIVING in an ACFPA member, licensed Resource Family home.

ACFPA members should have received an email with an application form that must be completed by Sunday November 26th at 11:59 PM to be considered for a bike. Bikes will have to be picked up by recipients. If you have extenuating circumstances that make it untenable to pick up the bike, please note it on the application form. An application is required for each child requesting a bike, so if you are applying for more than one child, please complete an application for each of the children. Bikes may be geared towards a certain gender or be gender neutral.

We have a limited number of bikes available. Filling out an application does not guarantee that your child will receive a bike. Once all responses are received, ACFPA will contact you to let you know if you will be receiving a bike.

Happy Holidays!