Frances Moore Navarre of the Onslow County Department of Social Services described annual holiday efforts to support foster children, including a community-run gift drive and an in-person party.

Navarre said the annual party for children in foster care and young adults in the county's 18-to-21 program will be the first Friday of the year, with this year's party set for Dec. 5. She described a decade-long volunteer effort, led by a group called Be the Light, that expanded from goodie bags to an Amazon wish-list campaign. "We have a goal of 5 gifts per child that attends the event," she said, noting last year's total of about 1,100 gifts.

The Angel Tree program, in its 19th year according to Navarre, lists the top five wishes for each foster child; donors pick an angel off a tree and fulfill those gifts. Initial Angel Tree locations named on the broadcast included the consolidated main health and human services building, First Citizens Bank in Sneads Ferry and other community sites; Navarre said donations should be delivered unwrapped to the CHS building at 612 College Street in Jacksonville no later than Dec. 5.

Navarre encouraged community partners to host trees and to contribute food and other donations for the party. She directed people to the Onslow County website and the Onslow County Be The Light 2025 Facebook page for more details and to contact April Landon for Be the Light donations.