A call to action

Photo by Pezz Photo

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?

February’s children are highlighted in this article; they too deserve 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.

Joseph, 12

Joseph is a thoughtful, big-hearted kid who – if he could choose to change one thing about the world – would end people stereotyping one another. He’s funny and easygoing and loves to read.

If he isn’t reading or sleeping he’s playing basketball, and his ultimate goal is to play professionally. Although he’s not too sure about plane travel, Joseph wants to have some adventures in life, and thinks it would be awesome to find the Lost World of Atlantis.

He looks up to his big brother Patrick because he’s “kind and caring,” and he’s looking forward to being part of a forever family that he “can talk to when [he] has a question or problem.”

Patrick, 16

Patrick is a very earnest, respectful young man with a heart of gold. He’s very intelligent and loves to read – especially science-fiction novels such as “Marco’s Millions.” He doesn’t share his little brother’s aversion to flying, and would love to have that experience, especially if the plane takes him to Paris!

He’s into all kinds of music and likes to play video games. He can often seem serious and reserved, but he’s got a very silly side, too! When he grows up he’d like to either be a photographer or a therapist, and if he could be famous for anything it’d be for authoring a popular book series.

These guys crave the warmth and support of a forever family. They’d thrive in a two-parent home as the only children or with other brothers. They have so much potential, and so much love to give!

If you are interested in knowing more about Joseph and Patrick 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.

Log on to www.ococfl.org for more information.