Caring for the Orphan in Our City
May is National Foster Care Month in the United States, and we want to lift up those children and families affected by foster care in our cities. Today, over 3,700 children are in the foster care system in Arkansas. These are kids without a place to call ‘home,’ and the need to respond to this crisis in our state is real. However, families, churches, and organizations throughout Arkansas are responding to the crisis in tangible, life-changing ways. We want to take the opportunity to highlight three organizations that are serving on the front lines to help the Church fulfill its responsibility to love and care for the orphan in our city (James 1:27).
The CALL: A Collective Movement of God’s People
The CALL began in 2007 out of a movement among God’s people. Many of the organization’s co-founders had firsthand experience of the foster care crisis in Arkansas and saw an opportunity for the Church to step up and serve. Christen Butler, Executive Director of The CALL, tells me that this movement was bigger than one church. “The really neat thing was it didn’t just start with one church. It was, ‘Let’s gather churches together, and how can we, together, step into this space?’ I believe that’s the unique foundation of The CALL. It’s not about one person. It’s not a movement of one church. It’s a collective movement of God’s people.”
The CALL’s mission focuses on two things: raising awareness about foster care and recruiting foster families. The organization works to educate the community, churches, and families about the realities of foster care. They also guide those who feel called to foster care by providing comprehensive, trauma-informed, and Christ-centered training and helping with the extensive pre-certification paperwork required to meet fostering standards.
The CALL also provides what Christen calls “wrap-around support” for foster families and churches. “We engage churches to help educate churches. We want to equip churches and foster a culture that enables them to provide the stability, love, and care these families need. We provide anything from freezer meals to tangible supplies. These kids come into care usually with nothing. Maybe just the clothes on their back. Here’s a new pair of shoes. Here’s a bed this family will need. That wrap-around support also covers therapy services for the foster and adoptive parent.”
Megan Hurtt, The CALL’s Coordinator for Faulkner County, elaborates on the importance of wrap-around support and the collective effort with other non-profit organizations:
One thing that makes us unique is we aren’t here for any glory for ourselves; only to do what God calls us to do. I’m a foster parent, so I can tell you about the emotional and physical toll fostering takes. To have an organization that you can lean on and support you spiritually plays a huge part and why people say, “Yes” to The CALL. I mean, who’s going to be a better foster parent than a believer in a church who’s being supported by church members? I don’t think people would sign up for this if they didn’t think they would get the wrap-around support. It’s a mission field, a big mission field.
We have developed so many good relationships with nonprofits surrounding us. We’ve been able to do so much more than awareness and recruitment. When Immerse Arkansas came to Conway, we recommended them to others. The CALL Mall is open to The Rise House, Bethlehem House, and Life Choices. When you give a little, you get it back tenfold. We aren’t putting up walls.
Christen Butler is quick to acknowledge the pivotal role churches play in The CALL’s work. “Churches are the backbone of everything we do. When we’re recruiting foster families, and we’re engaging that level of support, our audience is the Christian community. Many churches already have a heart for mission work and for serving vulnerable families. There’s a step in every bit of this process where the church fits right in. We believe this is mission care, and it’s amazing to see churches of all types and sizes engage.”
Project Zero: Advocating, Building, and Connecting with Churches
Kandace Gerber, the Director of Marketing at Project Zero, tells me their goal is simple: “We want to see Arkansas become the first state with zero kids in the foster care system waiting to be adopted.” Over the organization’s thirteen-year history, the number of kids waiting peaked at over 700, but today is down to 228.
How does Project Zero get kids from waiting to finding their forever family? Kandace tells me it happens through the ABCs of their mission. First, they advocate awareness about adoption. “We let people know these kids are available and waiting to be adopted.” Project Zero has three Heart Galleries with portraits and stories of the kids waiting to be adopted. These galleries (one in Northwest Arkansas and two in Central Arkansas) travel throughout the state. “We love to get into church lobbies and let people see the kids’ faces when they leave the church service. We also have them at events.”
Second, Project Zero builds hope. “We pour into these kids on special days like their birthday. With our Candyland Christmas event, we try to get everything on their wishlist. Each of them is precious and unique, so we try to build hope specifically for each child. Hope is needed because the longer a kid is in the foster care system, their hope of being adopted can diminish.”
Third, Project Zero connects. They host connection events monthly. “The focus is getting kids to interact with families. Some families will come with specific kids in mind. Since Project Zero has a statewide focus, we have kids and families coming to these events from around the state.”
If there’s one thing Kandace is adamant about, it’s the critical role churches play in Project Zero’s mission. “Churches are already primed for this because believers are in tune with the Spirit and, hopefully, the Spirit’s stirring their hearts, telling them, ‘You can do this.’ Not everyone will choose to adopt, but everyone can do something. There are countless ways, big and small, that God’s people can be part of someone’s ‘yes.’ You can adopt a child in prayer or share their short film with your small group. Maybe a small ‘yes’ is simply getting information on what it would take to open your home. These kids need someone to be for them, someone in their corner to encourage them and be their cheerleader. You could say ‘yes’ to that.”
Immerse Arkansas: Transforming Youth into Overachievers
Immerse Arkansas focuses on one of the most vulnerable groups within foster care—those aging out of the system. Their overarching goal is to see youth from crisis transformed into overcomers. Typically, those youth are between the ages of fourteen and twenty-four, who are, as Eric Gilmore, Executive Director of Immerse Arkansas, tells me, those who have “aged out of foster care, are in foster care, have been adopted, have run away, are homeless, or are trafficking victims.” Given those circumstances, it’s hard to imagine the uphill climb these youth take entering adulthood. But it’s a climb that Eric and his team are willing to take with them. “We want to see them become whole, resilient adults. We want to see them go on to flourish. We are trying to walk alongside young people at one of the most critical times in their lives, helping them build a solid foundation from which they can grow and be a full and participating member of society.”
What does that look like? Eric tells me their youth center provides a low-barrier point of entry for these youth. “Youth can come here, and we’re going to help them with their needs and their dreams. They can take a shower, get food, or get help getting a job. They can see a therapist. All those things. At the same time, they can get help getting into college. They can get help starting a career and figuring out their skills and what’s the best fit for them. They can pursue hobbies. They can experience incredible things that will, hopefully, challenge and expand their worldview.”
The organization has a transitional living program, which includes houses and apartments for young people to practice adulthood and build a strong foundation for life. They are also building the state’s first dedicated youth shelter. “We hope that’s going to be a game-changer for teens and young adults. Rather than go to a shelter that’s designed, typically, for adults with just cots in a room, it’ll feel more like a dorm. They’ll have their own bedroom and bathroom. They’ll be part of a community.”
Eric knows that, without churches, Immerse Arkansas would simply not exist. They played a critical role in the beginning, they play a vital role today, and they will play a critical role well into the future. “So much generosity comes from people in the Church—so many volunteers, mentors, resources, and donations. Here we get to see the Church carrying out its role on a daily basis in caring for young and vulnerable people, which is exciting. It’s phenomenal the level of care and concern from the Church for the young people we’re serving. It’s astounding.”
Your Role in God’s Story
Organizations like The CALL, Project Zero, Immerse Arkansas, and others are partnering with churches to answer the call of James 1:27. The reality is that if every church in Arkansas were engaged in this issue, we could provide a caring home for every child. It’s as simple as that. Whether big or small, you and your church have a role to play in the story God is telling through youth in the foster care system. Together, we can respond to this crisis with love in action and give these children a home and community where they can flourish.
Together, we can do this, and together, we can build a flourishing community.
