The Story of Foster Fairies
Foster Fairies is an organization dedicated to providing birthday and Christmas gifts to every abused and neglected child in Indiana, and to grant their special wishes.
Aleksandra Pesalj founded Foster Fairies. As part of Child Advocates, Inc., Aleksandra had experience representing and protecting the best interests of children in Marion County who are victims of abuse and neglect.
“I realized that there are so many unmet needs, and that children do not always get a special treatment on their birthday or on a holiday such as Christmas,” Aleksandra wrote on the Foster Fairies Facebook page. “So I decided to start the organization, which is really a one-woman show, to bridge the gap when it is needed.”
When Aleksandra is notified of a need, she posts it on the Foster Fairies Facebook page. Her followers meet that need, and she ensures its delivery to the child in question. “It is really all there is,” she said.
Beyond creating a network of random wish-granters online, Aleksandra has mobilized Foster Fairies every holiday season through a Christmas drive to provide presents for children in the foster care system.
Our Partnership
Since December 2016, John Hensley has graciously sponsored around 50 children each year for the Foster Fairies Christmas drive.
Every December, Hensley Legal Group assigns each employee who wants to participate with the name of a child in the foster care system. In addition to the name, the employee receives relevant information that will help them select gifts for the child, including their age, clothing sizes, hobbies, and Christmas wish list.
Employees have a great time finding presents for their specific child, and Hensley Legal Group covers the expenses for the child’s gifts (up to $250 for each child). Throughout the month, many employees get together in the office to wrap their presents. Hensley Legal Group also provides a duffel bag for each child, so employees can stuff the bags with presents to help with transportation.
Each year, a team from Hensley Legal Group helps deliver the presents to Foster Fairies so they can be distributed to children in the foster care system. In 2019 we were able to donate over 70 bags of gifts for 65 children.