Foster dad and mom in Lawrence County have a new source for enable.
House Foundation Ministries, Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-income, is located in the Haven of Hope constructing on the assets of the Volant United Methodist Church.
“We are not a foster treatment agency for each se, but our mission is to minister to the requirements of Lawrence County foster and adoptive people and their little ones,” church member and board president Lisa Jeckavitch reported.
Residence Foundation, which originated in Kittanning and relocated to Volant in January, is trying to collect a databases of nearby foster and adoptive family members and asks people to contact them to be positioned on their mailing list.
One particular system operate by the agency is Amelia’s Closet, named soon after her family’s initially foster child, which collects new and carefully worn garments, coats and shoes from measurements new child to grownup extra-huge, and donates them to foster households for the youngsters that they serve.
“Oftentimes, a little one is dropped off by the foster treatment company to a foster family with only the clothes on the child’s again,” Jeckavitch said. “We make it possible for families up to seven to 10 outfits per child to relieve the child’s transition. It aids the child and it lifts the load of the foster family members.”
A person results story, Jeckavitch said, was when a girl believed to be autistic was withdrawn, but then presented new dresses.
“We gave her new clothing and she just blossomed,” she reported. “Even her teachers who knew her before we acquired her have been surprised when she became the talkative, social butterfly of her classroom.”
Residence Base Ministries also gives respite care for foster family members. The agency delivers just one night of respite for every quarter from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. which lets the foster family members an evening off to take it easy or have a tendency to other affairs. Just lately, the company babysits and provides a food and leisure for 11 foster little ones, freeing up their foster dad and mom for an evening.
At present, the agency has no paid out workforce and operates with by Jeckavitch, her two daughters Maya, 14, and Aliyah, 12, Jeckavitch’s sister Amanda Koi and buddies. Koi is the vice president of the board. The church also has an auxiliary termed “God’s Squad,” comprised of teenaged ladies who assistance with Amelia’s Closet and other assignments.
The company completed a venture not too long ago where by the women put jointly 175 Easter baskets that were being provided away to foster and adopted youngsters, Jeckavitch described, even though an Ingestion Meals challenge experienced volunteers collect, prepare and provide an night meal to foster people to give foster mom and dad a evening off from cooking.
No stranger to foster treatment herself, Jeckavitch, a case analyst for Standard Dynamics, and her partner of 16 yrs, Michael, a instructor in the Wilmington Spot College District, have been foster mothers and fathers for 3 several years with Bethany Christian Expert services out of Wexford.
“We ended up qualified in August of 2018 and predominantly foster younger kids,” Jeckavitch mentioned. “My very first was Amelia, who I like dearly, but because then, I have fostered 7 some others.”
“My daughters and I in particular appreciate the young toddlers,” said Jeckavitch. She relevant one heart-wrenching story about a three-working day aged baby she and her husband acquired that experienced with withdrawals soon after staying born addicted to medications.
“We are a team joined by the love of God and targeted on sharing that enjoy with foster and adoptive family members.”
Jeckavitch related how her enthusiasm was sparked by her father, Dan Reiver, who bonded with youths from the George Junior Republic in Grove City when she was a child.
“My Dad was renowned for getting the boys out and which include them on our loved ones outings when I was increasing up,” she mentioned. “I felt like the Lord was getting ready me for this ministry because my youth. I want to help youngsters who never have aid.”
Her prolonged-term aims for the company, she explained, are to assistance additional with the reunification system as kids are reunited with their organic people.
These who want to become associated as a volunteer, donate, or as a foster or adoptive family members in will need of services need to get hold of Jeckavitch at www.homebase-ministries.org, by email [email protected] or by calling (724) 761-5395.