At KidsPeace Foster Care’s Annual “Chair-ity” Auction, you’ll find limitless creativity expressed in the auction items. Past pieces included a rustic wood window upgraded with panes of meticulously laid mosaic glass, and a children’s rocking chair made new with freshly painted dinosaurs. These items, refurbished by local artists, help kids.
According to Mike Edelman, program manager at KidsPeace, the pieces are a reflection of the agency’s purpose.
"The idea is to take something old, thrown away, and discarded, and make it into something wanted, which is really our mission with our foster children. They feel like they're unwanted and they're thrown away. And we want them to feel wanted."
He told the story of one foster child whose summer was changed for the better by the Chair-ity Auction.
“She’s a very good student. She's in an early college program, and she got information at her school for a journalism camp at Johns Hopkins University up near Baltimore. But she crumpled up the paper and put it in the bottom of her backpack because she thought, ‘Nobody has the money.’ Her foster parents found this out a couple of days before the deadline. They called and said, ‘We really want to send her to this camp, we just need help.’ I said, ‘Absolutely, just tell me what you need and I’ll write the check.’ We immediately got that money paid to the school and she attended the journalism camp.”
Funds raised at the auction made her participation possible.
Hundreds of foster parents and children face similar dilemmas. According to Edelman, while Medicaid has increased their rates to an extent that helps KidsPeace keep their doors open, it’s not enough. KidsPeace wants to finance opportunities that keep the kids' lives moving “toward normalcy.” He described opportunities like summer camp, owning musical instruments, and going on vacation.
Despite the ongoing need to maintain a surplus allocated toward supporting these opportunities, 2024’s auction will look a little different. Edelman says they’re focusing on building awareness.
“We're calling it our ‘Give Back Year.’ We cut the cost of all of our sponsorships and our tickets in half this year. I don't want to say we don't need the money, there's always the need for money, but we also really want to continue to build awareness.”
The auction will still feature local artists’ handiwork, upcycling bits of unwanted furniture and turning them into stunning art pieces. But Edelman says they need to highlight more fundamental areas of need.
In Cumberland County alone there are 1,200 children in the foster care system. This is over four times greater than nearby counties similar in size and population. Forsyth County, for example, currently has 250 children in their foster care system. When kids in Cumberland County are placed with a foster family, summer camps and music lessons can become priorities, but delayed placements are not uncommon.
“There are so many kids in our area, some of them sleeping in DSS offices, because there aren't enough Cumberland County foster homes out there available to take them,” Edelman explained.
By cutting sponsorship and ticket costs, KidsPeace brings other needs to the forefront, including the need for more foster parents. But for those who can’t donate or attend the auction, he says there are other ways to help and hopes the community will spread the word.
“There are so many kids out there who need good, loving homes. We have a big need for awareness and just sharing information is often the best thing people can do. Maybe you're not in a financial spot to be able to donate, but if you share about the fundraiser, maybe somebody you know will want to buy one of these upcycled items. Or maybe you know someone who has an event space. We’re always looking for an event space for our Christmas party. As a non-profit, we’re all about doing things for free.”
Though their 11th annual auction won’t focus as heavily on funding, Edelman says the mission at
KidsPeace remains the same.
"These kids have faced enough rejection when they come to us. They've often been in 10 to 12 foster homes already. We want to end that cycle. We want them to know that people care about them."
General admission tickets can be purchased for $35.00 at kidspeacefayettevilleauction.com/annualauction. The “Chair-ity” Auction will be held Thursday, Sept.12, at 5:30 p.m. at the Cape Fear Botanical Garden.

(Photo: A participant holds up a paddle during the 2023 Chair-ity auction at the Cape Fear Botanical Garden. Photo courtesy of KidsPeace of Fayetteville' Facebook page)