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Hamilton
County’s foster parents and foster children will be recognized at an
upcoming event designed to generate interest in foster parenting and
adoption.
The event, Every
Child’s Hope, will feature a nationally-known entertainer, expert
speakers, educational workshops and Sunday sermons at more than two
dozen local churches in an effort to raise awareness around the need
for local foster care and adoptive parents. Child-friendly events
will be available while parents learn.
The extravaganza,
set for the weekend of May 29-31, has been organized by The Greater
Cincinnati Coalition of Care, a group of Cincinnati-area churches
concerned and committed to positively changing the lives of local
foster children.
“Our vision is
seeing every church wrap itself around at least one child,” said
Larry Bergeron, executive director of A Child's Hope International,
Inc. Bergeron, whose work helping the growing number of at-risk
children throughout the world led to the founding of his
Cincinnati-based non-profit corporation (www.achildshopeintl.org),
helped unite the area churches in the cause of local foster care.
“We certainly
feel there is a spiritual reason for our churches and members to get
involved. But there’s a humanitarian reason for all local residents
to answer this call. We have more than 1,000 local foster children
whose hopes are to have loving families and safe homes. This is the
chance to step up and change a child’s life; the chance to change
your community.”
Hamilton County
has more than 800 foster children in its care each day. More than
200 of those children are awaiting adoption. Yet, attracting and
retaining quality foster and adoptive parents is more a challenge
now than ever before. The number of foster homes in the Hamilton
County Job and Family Services network now sits at slightly above
200, down from nearly 400 four years ago.
“We are extremely
appreciative of the efforts The Greater Cincinnati Coalition of Care
is making on behalf of this community’s foster children,” said Moira
Weir, director of the Department of Job and Family Services. “We
hope all of our foster parents, all those interested in foster
parenting and everyone associated with our agency will help support
this event. A successful Every Child’s Hope weekend will put us one
step closer to the goal of safety, permanency health and happiness
for our children.”
The weekend’s
events will all take place at Landmark Church, 1600 Glendale-Milford
Road. The events include:
·
A Friday night concert
by singer/comedian Chonda Pierce. Pierce, who makes frequent
appearances at the Grand Ole Opry, has entertained crowds from coast
to coast for more than a decade with a blend of wit and music that
always leaves them wanting more. She’s served as a host of the
Inspirational Country Music Awards, hosted a talk show and regularly
appears on satellite radio. Her concert kicks off at 7 p.m. and will
include a celebration of foster families with 20 members of Hamilton
County foster families being recognized at the event. The public is
invited. Tickets are available at iTickets.com.
-
Chris Padbury, the executive director
of Project 1.27, speaking on the topic of “Getting in the
Way of Trouble: What Every Church Should Know When Intervening
in the Lives of Foster Children & Families” Good intentions are
simply not enough. This session will provide a general overview
of what every church ministry should know about the foster care
system and how church and church-based ministries can
effectively minister in this challenging area.
Padbury is the father of six adopted
children; he and his wife, Sarah, have adopted through every
means possible in the United States, including international and
domestic private agencies, an adoption lawyer outside the state
and most recently through the Colorado foster care system. As
executive director of Project 1.27, he leads an organization
committed to finding adoptive homes for Colorado’s foster
children. The public is invited to this free Saturday
morning event.
- Bishop W. C.
Martin, pastor of a Baptist church in Possum Trot, Texas,
speaking on how one small church can overcome obstacles to bring
love to the "least of these." This session will tell the story
of how his small Texas church of 200 has helped families adopt
80 children. Martin, who has appeared on Oprah and other
television shows, wrote the best-selling book, Small Town,
Big Miracle about the experience. The public is invited to
this free Saturday morning event.
-
Holly Schlaack,
a program manager at ProKids, an agency that advocates on behalf
of abused and neglected children, who has written a book called
Invisible Kids, which provides an insider’s look into the
foster care system. In her work with ProKids, Schlaack has
combined effective social work, dedicated volunteers and child
development experts to create a program for abused and neglected
children that serves as a model for court-appointed advocacy
programs around the country. Schlaack was recently recognized by
the Ohio House of Representatives for her work with Ohio's
most vulnerable citizens. The public is invited to this free
Saturday morning event.
·
Educational workshops on
foster care and adoption, mentoring, advocacy and more. The short
informational sessions will focus on topics such as training
requirements, preparing the home for foster care or adoption, myths
and realities, what happens to youth who “age out” of the system,
financial help for adoption, mentoring or advocating for foster
children and more. The workshops start Saturday morning and will
continue every half hour until 2:30 p.m. Participants can attend as
many as they wish. The public is invited to this free event.
·
Coalition of Care
churches throughout Greater Cincinnati spreading one message through
Sunday sermons: this community must respond to the challenge of
foster care and adoption. The Sunday sermons are expected to reach
more than 11,000 people.
For more
information on the weekend, visit
www.everychildshope.info. Those interested in adopting or
becoming foster parents can learn more at www.hcadopt.org or
www.hcfoster.org, or by calling (513) 632-6366 or e-mailing
adoption@jfs.hamilton-co.org. For more information
about The Greater Cincinnati Coalition of Care, visit
www.coalitionofcare.org.
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