Mya Shubert, 5, who was in foster care as a baby, and her adoptive mother organized a toy drive for children in foster care in Duval County.
The effort has collected nearly 400 toys, according to Leigh Ann Luttrell, community engagement manager for Family Support Services in Jacksonville, the lead child welfare agency for Duval and Nassau counties, as well as Pasco and Pinellas counties.
"We celebrate any community member who wants to make a difference in the lives of children in foster care, but this offer was extra heart-warming," Luttrell said."It’s special to see a child who was adopted out of foster care want to leverage her story to help others. "It's not every day that we get to see a story come full circle like Mya's has," Luttrell said. "Not only is she a very young activist but she also understands the value in taking the opportunities she's been given and using them to help others."
The toys from Mya's drive are being distributed to Family Support Services and other local agencies that serve children in foster care ―"wherever there is a need," spokeswoman Chanel Martin said. Christmas gifts for Nassau County children in care are typically funded by Rayonier, a major Nassau landowner, she said.
Mya and her mother contacted family, friends and others they know to spread the word and make the drive successful. Support came from Remedy Intelligent Staffing, where Tara Shubert works, and the River City PetSmart.
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