This year for Sierra Full of Joy we will be taking gift donations for The Call & Children’s Emergency Shelter. Maybe you have heard of these organizations or not, and maybe you’re curious to know more about them. Today I’ll tell you more about The Call.
At Harry Robinson Buick GMC we have a huge soft spot for The Call. There are several people here who grew up in the foster care system. As you can imagine, when you have experienced the foster care system it can be a good experience, which you are grateful for, or a negative experience, which can haunt you. The Call is in the River Valley to ensure every child entering the foster care system has a safe, caring place to stay.
Here’s the basics from their About Us page:
The Need
Today, more than a dozen children will come into foster care in Arkansas because of abuse or neglect. They will join nearly 4,500 other children in state custody. This year, more than 7,000 children will spend time in foster care. More than 500 children are waiting to be adopted. The greatest need of every child in foster care is a safe, loving family where they can heal and grow. There are 1,100 foster homes in Arkansas – too few to meet the needs of children who are taken into care.
Where do children go when no family is available to take them in?
Children are placed in emergency shelters, group homes or residential facilities. Siblings are often separated because there is not a home available to take them as a group. Nearly half of all children who enter foster care must be placed outside their home county because there is no room closer to home. Out-of-county placements create the need for children to be transported to their home county for staffings, family visits, and court appearances. Extended travel time leads to further disruptions in the child’s life – like missing school. It also consumes DCFS staff time.
How does The CALL help?
Having a pool of available foster and adoptive families in every county in Arkansas would go a long way toward solving the problem. The CALL is mobilizing Christians from multiple denominations and churches in local communities around Arkansas to meet the needs of local children in foster care. Recruiting families is our priority, however, we know that not every Christian is called to foster or adopt. The CALL works with local churches to assemble a support team of volunteers to wrap around their foster and adoptive families. We also try to connect churches with other opportunities to serve children in foster care.
And from their facebook page:
Our Mission: To educate, equip and encourage the Christian community to provide a future and a hope for the children in foster care.
Phone: 479-651-8816
E-mail: crawfordsebastian@thecallinarkansas.org
Please help us make this Christmas a great Christmas for the kids of The Call. We are located at 6000 S 6th Street in Fort Smith and will be taking gift donations from Nov 15- Dec 16, 2016. Here’s some gift ideas:
[…] families ready to take them in! Here’s a detailed blog I wrote about them last year: The CALL. Fort Smith Children’s Emergency Shelter provides shelter & care, in a safe, structured […]
[…] Emergency Shelter? I have touched on this question in previous posts. Here’s more about The Call and Children’s Emergency Shelter. For more detail, Chris Ware of The Call, and Ashley […]
[…] Follow these links for more information about the Children’s Emergency Shelter & The CALL. […]