A call to action

Photo by Lara Cerri

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.

Sabrina, 16

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?

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

Sabrina, 16

Sabrina was born with a song in her heart. She’s animated, outgoing, hilarious and almost always smiling. She loves people and gives herself wholeheartedly to being a great friend. Sabrina is serious about her health, about eating well (though she has a soft spot for lasagna) and staying active.

Gymnastics and dance are her two favorite sports, and she’d really like to be either a gymnast or a dance therapist when she grows up. She has no preference of family type, saying if she had two dads she could be a “daddies’ girl.” For Sabrina, the more siblings there are the more love to go around.

However, she is very clear about one thing: she wants more than anything in the world to mean the world to someone. Sabrina has such a bright, amazing future ahead of her. She needs and deserves to be part of a loving, encouraging and accepting forever family.

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.