Many friends and colleagues know I went into foster care during my sophomore year of high school. I was lucky to land in the best foster home in California. Others are not so lucky, bouncing around from shelter care to foster care with nothing but the clothes on their backs. This is especially hard for teens struggling to find confidence and a way to belong. That’s why I started Stockings from Karen. SFK is a non-profit organization that gives the gift of self-esteem to teen foster youth through the annual delivery of Christmas stockings filled with toiletries like deodorant, toothbrush/toothpaste, lotion and confidence boosters like makeup and hair accessories. Each stocking is purchased, assembled and donated by our donors and delivered to our partners at Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) for distribution to their cases in the DMV.