It's that time again! Temperatures are going down, decorations and lights are going up, and everyone is busy penning their holiday letters and greeting cards! (Or, if they're anything like us at the Glitter Staff, staring at the full boxes of cards and thinking "maybe I'll do them tomorrow night!")

As many of you know, the winter holidays are Kristin's favorite, and those of you who have been around Glitter for a few years know that we like to celebrate by encouraging fans to donate to charity in her honor and send us a holiday card for her. After all, what do you get the woman who has everything? We find the best answer to be "nothing but warm fuzzies and Hallmark cards!"

In the past, we have donated to charities like Broadway Cares and Toys for Tots, but this year we thought we would choose a charity that both related to Kristin and went along with one of the common themes of the season: being home for the holidays.

I'm sure most of us have fond family memories of the holiday season, but there are children all across our country whose holiday memories may be more uncertain. There are children who don't have permanent families, many of whom are moved from house to house, family to family. They don't know if the home they're celebrating at this Christmas is the same home they will celebrate at next year. For children in the foster care system, the definition of "home for the holidays" may be different from many of ours. So this year, we are dedicating our holiday project to the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption.

The Dave Thomas Foundation works to find "Forever Families" for children in the foster care system, where it can often take years for a child to find adoptive parents. In fact, 20% of children in foster care are never adopted, instead aging out of the system when they reach the age of 18. Through various initiatives, the Dave Thomas Foundation hopes to decrease the gap between the number of children who need permanent homes, and the number of children who have permanent homes.

By now, most of you have figured out the more obvious link between this charity and Kristin: our favorite Pie Hole waitress was adopted at birth, and knows firsthand the joy of being in a loving Forever Family. However, those of you who are really on the ball may have figured out the second link to Kristin. Need a hint? The Dave Thomas Foundation hosts a yearly television special called A Home for the Holidays to raise awareness for foster care adoption. This year's special, which will air on Tuesday, December 23rd, will feature Kristin, so be sure to tune in and learn more about this important cause -- and hey, you can't go wrong with Faith Hill (another adoptee) as the headliner, right?

By now you're probably wondering, "But what about the Christmas cards?" Well, that's simple. In order to send a card to Kristin, all we ask is that you make a donation of at least $10 to the Dave Thomas foundation (you can donate online here: http://www.davethomasfoundation.org/How-You-Can-Help). You must enclose a print-out of your payment confirmation page in your holiday card, so we can keep a record of all donations made, and you have until December 25th to get your card and donation confirmation to us. Once all the cards are in, we will pass them along to Kristin, along with a note telling her how much we've raised to help these kids in need! Our goal for this project is $500 -- just think, if 50 of Glitter's 2000+ members send the minimum donation, we will meet our goal (and provide Kristin with plenty of reading material for those cross-country flights)!

To recap:
$10 donation minimum
Confirmation MUST be sent with your card
All cards due December 25th

Cards should be sent to the following address:

Glitter: The KC Fanclub
PO Box 1151
Burbank, CA 91507-1151


We hope you guys have lots of fun making or buying your cards, and that you will join with us this year in helping a few more children find a Forever Home for the Holidays.

Peace,
The Glitter Staff