Hero Spotlight: Casey & Krisan Anderson
Everyone has a next step to care for children in need—whether that is giving financially, serving with their energy and time, or using the gifts God’s given them to enrich lives.
Our donors are some of the most caring, intentional people, and it’s our honor to introduce two of them to you today. Casey and Krisan Anderson live in Southeast Alabama, where they both practice pharmacy. They have three children and live out God’s call in James 1:27 by giving to and serving with us so faithfully by participating monthly in our Hero Society program. In addition, they’ve also started providing respite care for our children and families. Below is a snapshot of the couple’s journey with ABCH, written by Krisan!
WHERE IT ALL BEGAN
We have always had an interest in foster care and first heard about ABCH through our church, Calvary Baptist Church, in Dothan. They hosted a special event on Orphan Sunday in November 2015 to advocate for orphan care and introduced us to several local ministries and organizations who support orphans in our area.
That same year, we attended the Christmas Open House at the Campus Care home, and learned more about the ministry. Kim McGainey (Area Director of Southeast Alabama) gave us a tour of the home and spent a lot of time talking to us about all ABCH is doing right here in Dothan to take care of children in foster care, minister to their birth families, and support the house parents and foster families who are caring for them . . . We were shocked at the statistics for children in foster care in our immediate area and felt a desire to give.
THE GOSPEL AT THE CENTER
Casey and I could both clearly see that this ministry was ministering to children in foster care and their birth families in very tangible ways and sharing the gospel on a consistent basis. More than that, they are living out the gospel for these children and their families, giving them stability and love while pointing them to Christ during a very difficult season in their lives.
ABCH trains their foster families through the lens of the gospel, and ABCH foster families are all working together to show the love of Christ with the children in their homes (as well as their birth families)!
THEIR NEXT STEP, THE RIGHT FIT
Once we began learning about ABCH and the foster care licensing process, we realized the tremendous need that there was for respite care providers. Children in the care of ABCH cannot spend more than 24 hours outside the care of an ABCH foster parent and/or outside of an ABCH licensed foster home.
So, as you can imagine, the need is great for respite care. Although we did not feel like it was the right season for our family to take on a full-time placement, we did feel the Lord calling us to pursue licensing and make our home available for respite care. We went through the training course and obtained our foster care license in 2017.
We have really enjoyed serving in this way and have been blessed to get to know some of the children in care locally, as well as their foster families. It has been a great fit for us and a huge blessing to our family. God is good, and He is working in their lives.
EASY TO GET INVOLVED
ABCH is a wonderful ministry that really makes it easy for anyone to get involved with local foster care.
Respite care is a great way to get involved, love on the kids, and get to know and support local foster families—helping them to carry the load without a full-time commitment.
ABCH also makes it easy to give financially—you can give a one-time gift, sign up for monthly automatic drafts, or text-to-give. You can give towards a specific location or wherever most needed. Also, you can donate non-cash gifts and stocks/mutual funds to ABCH.
I also love that the ABCH website maintains an updated needs list for each location. This is a great way for small groups, businesses, friends, or co-workers to go together and help meet the needs of the local Campus Care home, counseling office, or foster families.
CELEBRATION OF GOD’S WORK
We love ABCH. We are so thankful for all they do and the way they support the kids in their care as well as their families. It is amazing to hear the many stories of children’s lives being changed and decisions made for Christ.
We have seen children that we have cared for and grown to love be reunited with their birth families, and others have been adopted into their foster families, and we can celebrate it all.
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!