Drive-Thru Donation Drop-Off
One fantastic way our donors and church partners helped us in this unique season was by participating in a drive-thru donation drop-off at our Birmingham office to support our moms and kids in Family Care. Members from several local churches provided much-needed supplies and gift cards as they sought to care for the needs of these single moms and their children.
Our Family Care ministry is a transitional program providing safe and stable homes to help struggling mothers and their dependent children to get back on their feet. Many of our moms were temporarily laid off from their jobs in this season, and the support they received from this effort kept them and their children well fed and provided for.
Jules Thompson, our Volunteer Coordinator, was a part of making this special event in April come together. She says, “We knew that our families needed assistance during this time of uncertainty, and we also had several individuals and churches looking for a way to tangibly give back. A donation drive-thru seemed like the safest, easiest way to quickly provide for the needs the families had.”
In all, there were individuals from 11 local churches that came together to donate groceries, snacks, gift cards, toilet paper, cleaning supplies, and more! “These items helped meet the immediate needs our families had, such as putting food on the table and having toilet paper, as well as ensuring that we have reserves at our Family Care locations,” says Jules.
Valencia Pritchett, Family Care Manager of the Gardendale Campus, says of the kids staying in her home, her “little nuggets” as she affectionately refers to them, that their faces were priceless and overwhelmed with joy when she got back to the Gardendale home with the items. They gave her big hugs and helped her get everything unloaded.
She also shares how this season has given her a much deeper faith in God, “Psalms 37:25 has come alive in our home, ‘I’ve never seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging for bread.’ We are truly thankful and blessed to have people that love our ministry and have care and concern for what our families are going through.”
Several mothers expressed to Cami Jones, Family Care Manager of the Alabaster Campus, how thankful they are to be in Family Care during this time and how grateful they are for the support of our donors. A majority of them were laid off due to COVID-19. “Many said they don’t know what they would have done if they had not been with us,” she says.
Although being laid off presented financial and emotional struggles, along with the stress of having to balance school with the older kids and care for little ones at the same time, and being at home 24/7, Cami said the season has been challenging for our moms, but also encouraging. She says, “There has also been a spirit of peace knowing that our gracious donors have helped our moms meet the needs of their families during these difficult days.”
Cami adds, “It has been humbling to see how willingly and sacrificially people have given to help our kids and families during this time. What a beautiful example and picture of the Church caring for her people.”
In the midst of a global pandemic that has left many people jobless or with a reduced income, we are so thankful for the generosity of our donors and church partners. Thank you for your prayers and calls and emails, asking what we need and how you can help us continue to care for our children and families.
During this challenging time, life has looked a lot different on our campuses, and our purpose of protecting, nurturing, and restoring children and families through Christ-centered services has never been greater.
This story is one of four quarterly features shared through our Hero Partners e-news. To learn more about supporting our children and families through a recurring monthly gift and receive these stories directly to your inbox, visit our Hero Partners page today!