Dear Friends,
Fragile is one word that reflects life during the pandemic.
That’s when baby Imar entered the world at 26 weeks with multiple medical complications. His mother Sari suffered from postpartum depression, but still had to visit Imar and care for her other children while her husband worked. She felt isolated and alone. When it was time for Imar to be discharged from the hospital, Sari wasn’t well enough to care for her medically fragile son. That’s when the hospital social worker referred her to Safe Families for Children® (SFFC). SFFC is one of our Family Strengthening services, designed to provide the safety net many vulnerable families need to keep children out of the State foster care system and achieve long-term stability.
Like Imar, many people are medically fragile, requiring them to stay physically distant from others to protect against illness and disease. Others, like Sari, are emotionally fragile and feel isolated, lonely, and helpless. Perhaps you’ve experienced one of these feelings sometime during the past nine months of social distancing. I know I have! But these feelings are magnified for those who are already living in poverty and vulnerable. Since March, SFFC has hosted 26 children and provided support to help their families.
I am incredibly grateful that during the pandemic, SFFC Host Homes and Family Friend volunteers stood strong, providing loving support and biblical hospitality to fragile and vulnerable families, like Sari’s.
The Mewshaws are one of many host homes who have demonstrated biblical hospitality by stepping up to host a child and showing the love of Christ to the family. They hosted Imar for several months, mastering the details of his medical needs, while working and doing on-line schooling with their own children. Over ten SFFC Family Friends took turns caring for Imar to accommodate the Mewshaw’s work schedules and provide resources when needed. This gave Sari the time she needed to focus on her health and prepare for Imar’s return.
The beauty of SFFC is that the relationships formed between the families continues after the hosting ends. Monica Mewshaw continues to listen, encourage and support Sari. Monica says, “It was an honor to serve this precious family and watch the Lord at work in all our lives. Our hearts were full as he reunited with his family, knowing we would see him again soon.”
Romans 12:9-21 speaks of the marks of a true Christian. Verse 15 says, “Rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep.” In each SFFC case, there are tears and joy. We rejoice with Sari and her family as they are reunited with Imar and will spend Christmas together.
December 31 marks the end of an incredible ministry year. We have much to celebrate, and we desire to surround even more families with a compassionate community in the coming year.
Will you make a special gift of $100, $250, $500, or $1,000 to help us serve vulnerable children and families during 2021?
Your year-end contributions are critical to what we do day in and day out. They allow SFFC to strengthen fragile individuals like Imar and Sari, and to continue offering hope, healing, and long-term stability to many families in crisis.
May God bless you as you extend Christ’s love to others,
Brenda Ulman
Program Director, Safe Families for Children®