In Kristy's Words...

Kristy, our friend who inspired us to reach out to children in the foster care system, wrote on her blog, Waiting For Happy, today about her family's experience in caring for the children who have come to them.  We wanted to share some of her words with you.  They touched our hearts.

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"We are not the same people today that we were just a few months ago. Today, we live with not just the awareness, but the intimate knowledge that not all children are fed, loved and cared for the way children should be. We have always known that this is the reality but now our eyes have truly been opened and we cannot look away. Once you’ve seen the face of abuse so horrific you’re sure you yourself wouldn’t have survived it, or have held a tiny child who has not had even some of their most basic needs met let alone been appropriately interacted with, you cannot turn back. It burns in your heart and in your mind. 

Our family has been blessed to be able to love and hold a few children in our three months since we’ve been licensed and our lives have been forever changed by them. Survivors in their own right, these kids are absolute miracles, but nobody has told them that. We get to. We get to love them and feed them and rock them to sleep at night assuring them that they are safe and secure and the next meal is sure to be served. 

Each child comes with a different story…a different reality and no two seem to be just alike. We’ve had four children placed in our home over the past four months and one common thread has been woven through each one and been a real eye opener to our privileged family. Each of these kids has come with little more than the clothes on their very back. Often times those clothes don’t even fit and sometimes they aren’t even weather appropriate. Taken from everything they know and love, they don’t even have a blankey or a trusted snuggly friend to join them on their journey that they didn’t ask to be on. 

It has been overwhelmingly heartwarming though to see that with each child who has walked or been carried through our door, the outpouring of love we’ve seen from friends and family. Not everyone can open their home (though I’d encourage you to really think and pray on that) but we all need to open our hearts to these kids and from our experience folks are eager to do so, they just don’t quite know how to help. I am here to tell you that something as simple as providing these sweet ones with just a little something to call their own, can make a difference. I have had the honor of being able to hand a four year old his very first stuffed animal and a five year old girl her first doll and I am here to tell you they are moments I will never forget. I’ve given my own children plenty of gifts, yet giving to a child who truly has nothing is an experience everyone should know."

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Thank you, Kristy, for sharing this.  

Eight Blankets

Check out this group of sweet young ladies.   

Can you guess what they are holding?  

Eight soft and cozy blankets that they worked together to make. 

Their amazing Girl Scout Troop leader, Melissa, organized several hours on a Saturday afternoon 

for the girls to devote to doing something for children they will never meet.  

These girls came in with smiles and giggles, ready for action.  It was actually quite a bit of work for those little fingers, but they were up for the challenge.  

Cutting edges to make the fridge.

That is a lot of cutting!

Starting to knot each one of the fringes.

                             

Eight blankets that will provide comfort for eight children who are likely pretty scared.  

How awesome for Melissa to give them a chance to do something that powerful,

for showing them that they can make a difference to a child in need.

We are so proud of their hearts, and grateful to Melissa for supporting Soul Purpose.

Project #3 - A Little Security

We have friends, Kristy and Howard,  who have recently become foster parents.  They have, in just a few months time, had four different children stay with them before moving on for various reasons.

One thing we have learned while talking to Kristy, is how little these children have.  They are taken from their homes with not much more than the clothing they are wearing.  In some cases, that is ALL they have with them.

We think of our own children, whose needs are more than met, and who have the security of knowing that home is a safe place. It is heartbreaking to think that any child does not have that, and yet there is a staggering number of children who are mistreated and neglected.

And then it hit us - our children do have a safe place to call home, and they still have a security blanket, or a stuffed animal that they hold on to when they are sleeping, when they are nervous, scared, or upset, or when they have a bad dream.

Let's make sure that the children entering the world of foster care have something to hold tight to as they are transitioned to a safe place. The fear they must feel is something most of us can't begin to imagine. A stuffed animal or a blanket provides so much comfort to a child.

For Project 3, we are collecting NEW stuffed animals (with the tags still on, please), cozy lap blankets meant for snuggling, and tote bags for children entering the foster care system.

We will be setting up drop of locations as we have done in the past.  You can also get in touch with us through the blog or our email (soulpurpose.erie@gmail.com) and we can set up a pick up time.  Our first goal is to have 25 bags with a small blanket and a stuffed animal tucked inside by November 30th. These will be delivered to Mary Jo at OCY.

Your contributions of any combination of these 3 items will help meet this goal and give some love and a little security to children who desperately need it.