Support needed for kinship families during the holidays

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - The holiday season can be financially challenging for many families, especially those who didn’t plan on adding another member.

Halos is a Tri-County nonprofit looking to spread awareness about its programs and increase donations this holiday season.

Kinship families are those raising a child of a relative, neighbor or friend full time typically after a drug-related intervention or death of a child’s biological parents.

Halos supports their kinship families with a list of resources like preventative services, financial assistance, and legal advice.

Just last week the nonprofit was able to provide 1,300 of their kinship families with toys for the holidays.

Ashley Grimball, with Halos, says everyday essentials like blankets, toilet paper and diapers are the biggest need for these families, especially during the holiday season. This is because most kinship families don’t have time to plan before taking in a child or children and many simply cannot afford to.

“A lot of our kinship families do not get support outside. We have a lot of grandparents who are on limited income, so they are only receiving a limited amount of money every month and they still have a need for the children that they are caring for. So, it’s very important to support kinship families,” Grimball says.

Halos is always accepting donations, but they are especially needed during this time of year. They are also always looking for kinship families in the Tri-County to support, as many of them are hidden in the community suffering in silence.

If you are interested in donating any essential items you can do so by visiting Halos office located at 4995 Lacross Rd Suite 1300 in North Charleston.

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