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Our beginnings
This ministry was started when our founders, John and Stacie Gates, were
waiting to adopt their daughters. God kept
impressing on Stacie's heart that there was something more that could be done to
help children in need. She began praying and seeking God's will with the
encouragement and help of her husband. She heard a radio program by Family
Life Today on their Hope for Orphans ministry. She contacted all the
churches listed and asked them questions about their ministries.
She sought advice from fellow Christians and found that there was a pressing
need for foster families in the two counties near her home. Under the
counsel of the church leadership, she and a core group of leaders brainstormed
about what could be done about the problem.
Under our pastor's advice, we decided to start very focused on one area of
ministry and expand it as God and resources permitted. We are
currently involved in ministering to the children in foster care and have a
vision to expand it to private domestic adoption, international adoption and
humanitarian aid projects. God has also given us a vision to replicate
this ministry in other congregations and communities. We constantly see God's hand at work in this ministry and cannot wait to see what His plans are for the future of our
group.
Today, this core group includes six people who are passionate about these
children and a strong desire to make a difference in their community.
Our core leadership includes:
John and Stacie are parents of four incredible children; two biological sons and two
adopted daughters. They had a desire to adopt for about seven years
before God finally began opening doors to make that dream a reality.
Their sons were nearly as excited as they were when they began the
adoption process. They have brought these two girls into their
home, but they have a desire to help many more children than they can
personally adopt or foster. That's why they are involved in this
ministry.
Charity Havercroft
Charity is the mother of a terrific little boy, Max. She worked for six
years at the Department of Human Resources as a social worker. Her
parents are foster parents and she has two adopted siblings. She has a
passion for this ministry because having worked at the agency, she knew that
the #1 problem was lack of foster homes and she believes the church should
be providing a solution.
Robyn Korn
Robyn is the mother of two active teen and pre-teen boys. One is her
biological son and one son was a foster child in her home before she adopted
him. Robyn was a foster parent in Florida for over 10 years and was the
mother to over 40 children of various races with ages ranging from 10 months
to 16 years old. Robyn also fostered children with special needs, some
of whom participated in the Special Olympics. Robyn and her
sons are looking forward to becoming a foster family here in Alabama.
Lori Coward
Lori is the mother of two wonderful sons. She and
her husband have graduated GPS to be able to provide respite care to foster
families and she coordinates our care package ministry. She has a
heart to help the kids and to minister to the foster families.
Tricia Shockency
Tricia is the mother of two grown children. Her desire to help
children comes in part from raising her children without a father in the
home and from caring for small children while their parents worked.
She wants to help alleviate the pain of the foster children and is thankful
that God has given her the opportunity to help provide them with nice, warm
clothes.
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