Challenging communities to consider adopting or mentoring

Children’s Board Heart Gallery Tampa Bay | Jeremiah by Pezz Photo
“I’m a hugger!”

TAMPA BAY — We are experiencing times when children are being taken from their homes and placed in the foster care system at alarmingly high rates. The need for temporary placements is critical until permanency can be achieved.

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 children pictured here and the more than 700 like them who are waiting for a permanent home and or mentor. Many of these children are minorities.

Can you provide a loving, permanent home for these children or other children like them or consider becoming their mentors?

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 fellow pastors to get involved and encouraging families to open their hearts and homes to children in foster care.

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?

August’s child highlighted in this article deserves to have a family. Do pray sincerely for them and consider making them a part of your family through adoption or a part of your church through Project Watch-Care for support and mentoring.

Jeremiah

Jeremiah’s a sweet, playful kid who loves games of all kinds. He can be a little shy, but he has a big heart, and cares for other people, and so it makes sense that his biggest goal is to become a fireman when he grows up.

Jeremiah tries hard in school—excelling especially in math—and he’s very proud of being chosen as a library aide this year. He is a very thoughtful, loving kid who wants and deserves to have his sweet, affectionate nature reciprocated by a forever family.

He’ll thrive in a loving, patient two-parent home that will nurture his many talents and help him to retain contact with his family out-of-state.

If you are interested in knowing more about Jeremiah and other children in foster care available for adoption, or if you would like to become a foster parent, mentor, partner or volunteer, you are welcome to attend a One Church One Child Education Training at Hood Temple African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church located at 3608 N. 26th St. in Tampa today, Aug. 23 at 6 p.m.  Refreshments will be served.

You may also contact LaKay Fayson, Recruitment Coordinator for One Church One Child of Florida’s SunCoast Region, at (813) 707-7113 or lakay_fayson@ococfl.org

For more information, please log on to www.ococfl.org.