A call to action

Photo by Amy Pezz

TAMPA BAY – One Church One Child of Florida challenges communities to seriously consider adopting or mentoring children in need of a forever home. Do you have room in your heart for a child or siblings in need of a family?

This is an urgent and important question that must be raised time and time again, but each time there is a different child or children. One Church One Child of Florida is reaching out to families and individuals in local communities across the state in efforts to help share the truth that the child pictured here and others like him are waiting for a permanent home and/or mentor.

Daily over 700 children are in need of a family to call their own, many of them are minorities.  Can you provide a loving, permanent home for these siblings or other children like them, or consider becoming their mentor?

Churches are asked to partner with One Church One Child in sharing information with congregations and extending Watch-Care Ministries to children.  Rev. Beverly Hills Lane, state president for One Church One Child of Florida and vice-president for National One Church One Child, is challenging her fellow pastors to get involved and encouraging families to open their hearts and homes to children.

These series of articles feature children located in communities across the state; they have no family identified to adopt them. Will you take the challenge of opening your home and family to parenting them?

December’s child is highlighted in this article; he too deserves to have a family.  Do pray sincerely for him and consider making him a part of your family through adoption or a part of your church through Project Watch-Care, for support and mentoring.

Antonio – “I have a creative mind.”

Antonio

Often in the stories of successful artists, there’s one connecting thread: the triumph over difficulty. Antonio’s going to have one of these stories. He uses his magnificent artistic abilities to express himself and draws on his own triumphs to propel his art.

He lives and breathes to create, taking small breaks to admire another one of his loves, fast cars. Antonio has a unique sense of style and a sweet, shy personality. If he could go anywhere in the world it would be Paris—as most artist would. His whole life would be changed by stable, supportive parents who make his dreams theirs.

If you are interested in knowing more about Antonio and other children in foster care available for adoption, or if you would like to become a foster parent, mentor, partner or volunteer, please contact LaKay Fayson, recruitment coordinator for One Church One Child of Florida’s SunCoast Region, at (813) 740-0210 or  lakay_fayson@ococfl.org. For more information, logon to www.ococfl.org.