ARTICLE
The CALL has a vision of no waiting children in foster care in the state of Arkansas. The mission of the 2018 Non-Profit of the Year is to educate, equip, and encourage the Christian Community to provide a future and a hope to children in foster care in Arkansas. Diane Wright, County Coordinator for The CALL in Garland and Hot Spring counties said receiving the award meant that they are fulfilling a big part of their mission. It shows that they are educating the community on the need. “The City of Hot Springs is getting to a place that the community is being intentional in educating themselves on the need for more families and support for local children in foster care. This is the necessary first step to open people’s hearts in asking themselves not IF they should serve this Mission, but HOW,” she said. “Because of this increased awareness, they were able to understand how much love our families, volunteers, church partners, and Department of Children and Family Services Partners pour into their roles. We were so grateful for this!” Statewide, The CALL was established in 2007 after a group of concerned individuals came together in prayer looking for a way to provide for children in foster care in Pulaski County by working alongside the Department of Children and Family Services. The CALL expanded to Garland and Hot Spring counties in 2014. When Wright’s oldest two children were placed in her home, she said they became instant parents, having never had children. “Our church family and the community were amazing to support us with prayer, meals, and resources. But it was the experienced foster/adopt families that truly carried us on the hard days. Having our fellow foster/adoptive families just a call away, reassured us that we could do this, and provided strategies for the challenges that come with kids from hard places. Our children deserve to be loved and understood, but we still needed a stronger sense of how to do this well and more families to serve alongside. That’s how I found The CALL in 2014!” Locally The CALL supports more than 40 foster and adoptive families, including those who serve and are not trained through The CALL. They do this through, prayer, mentorship, a valued partnership with ministry and the Department of Children and Family Services, The CALL Mall (clothing and resources), community partners that are beneficial to families, and providing required training for free. “Serving the community and helping children in need is important to us because it is a reflection of the extravagant love of Christ. As the Christian community, we are called to serve and love others not to ‘earn’ love from God, but because we are already so loved by God….we are His adopted children.” Wright said. “We are called to steward the overflowing blessings we’ve been given in time, resources, finances, and spiritual gifts. It is a privilege that we get to serve such an awesome community and the amazing families that love kids in foster care. We couldn’t do this without the hope our faith in God gives us.”
The CALL has a vision of no waiting children in foster care in the state of Arkansas. The mission of the 2018 Non-Profit of the Year is to educate, equip, and encourage the Christian Community to provide a future and a hope to children in foster care in Arkansas. Diane Wright, County Coordinator for The CALL in Garland and Hot Spring counties said receiving the award meant that they are fulfilling a big part of their mission. It shows that they are educating the community on the need.
“The City of Hot Springs is getting to a place that the community is being intentional in educating themselves on the need for more families and support for local children in foster care. This is the necessary first step to open people’s hearts in asking themselves not IF they should serve this Mission, but HOW,” she said. “Because of this increased awareness, they were able to understand how much love our families, volunteers, church partners, and Department of Children and Family Services Partners pour into their roles. We were so grateful for this!”
Statewide, The CALL was established in 2007 after a group of concerned individuals came together in prayer looking for a way to provide for children in foster care in Pulaski County by working alongside the Department of Children and Family Services. The CALL expanded to Garland and Hot Spring counties in 2014.
When Wright’s oldest two children were placed in her home, she said they became instant parents, having never had children.
“Our church family and the community were amazing to support us with prayer, meals, and resources. But it was the experienced foster/adopt families that truly carried us on the hard days. Having our fellow foster/adoptive families just a call away, reassured us that we could do this, and provided strategies for the challenges that come with kids from hard places. Our children deserve to be loved and understood, but we still needed a stronger sense of how to do this well and more families to serve alongside. That’s how I found The CALL in 2014!”
Locally The CALL supports more than 40 foster and adoptive families, including those who serve and are not trained through The CALL. They do this through, prayer, mentorship, a valued partnership with ministry and the Department of Children and Family Services, The CALL Mall (clothing and resources), community partners that are beneficial to families, and providing required training for free.
“Serving the community and helping children in need is important to us because it is a reflection of the extravagant love of Christ. As the Christian community, we are called to serve and love others not to ‘earn’ love from God, but because we are already so loved by God….we are His adopted children.” Wright said. “We are called to steward the overflowing blessings we’ve been given in time, resources, finances, and spiritual gifts. It is a privilege that we get to serve such an awesome community and the amazing families that love kids in foster care. We couldn’t do this without the hope our faith in God gives us.”