Scared and frightened, a child clings to a piece of furniture in his abusive home. A kind police officer gently instructs him to help put his belongings in a black trash bag. The child is about to leave the only home he has ever known and he has nobody he knows to comfort him. But imagine a bright blue bag waiting for him with a teddy bear, a blanket, crayons and a coloring book. A sweet teddy bear can be his non-threatening comfort and companion.
Together We Rise intrigued me from the first time I heard about it about half a year ago and God laid it on my heart the to organize this fundraiser someday. So this month when a bout of strep struck my body and I was stuck in bed for a couple of days, I decided what better time than the present? Especially since May is National Foster Care Awareness Month.
After praying for the Lord's guidance, emailing togetherwerise.org, and setting up a 15-day online fundraising campaign via Facebook and e-mail, everything was set. With the funds, the organization would provide duffle bags, hygiene kits, blankets, teddy bears, crayons, and coloring books. I would need to organize a Sweet Case Build with volunteers decorating and stuffing the bags. All the donors and anyone who wanted to volunteer were invited. Each stuffed bag would be given to a child entering foster care through an organization of my choice so I chose our foster agency. My hubby agreed to host the party at our house over Memorial Day Weekend.
Since the Together We Rise office is local to me, I picked up the duffle bags on Friday without a shipping fee. Yay! Praise God we raised enough for 58 bags! We also received many items like dental kits, books and little toys to add to the bags.
On Saturday, friends from different circles warmed and filled our home with their time, love, talent, food, and fellowship. We are so thankful for all of the generous donors and volunteers!
After decorating the bags and enjoying a delicious potluck dinner, we were blessed by my fellow foster mommy Monica sharing about her foster adoption journey over the past 8 years. They have grown to be a loving family of 7! We also watched a video of her teenage daughter describing what it was like in her birth home, being taken into foster care, and finding her forever family. What a sweet and encouraging time for all who listened!
Praise God for a successful event! May the children who receive these bags know Him as their Father, Lord, and Savior. If you have a heart for children in foster care, you can also host your own Sweet Case Build in your community. I'm sharing this to show how easy it is to organize! :) Contact www.togetherwerise.org for more info.
Next step...deliver all these bags to Olive Crest! ;)
No comments:
Post a Comment