ADOPT A FAMILY PROGRAM
Several months ago I visited a 14 year old boy who had survived a shooting in Omaha. During the visit his mother told me that three weeks earlier her 16 year old son had survived a similar shooting. She has a 12 year old son who is handicapped. As I was leaving the home the mother was crying.
Our church, St. Benedict at 2423 Grant Street, has adopted this family. Meetings with the family have resulted in elevating the mother’s expectations for herself and her children and helping her make better decisions. St. Benedict helps many families on a weekly basis. What makes this adopted family different is that we will continue to have an ongoing family relationship with them.
Escalating violence plus the realization that there are several thousand desperately needy families in the city have prompted us to launch an “Adopt a Family Program” (AFP) for Omaha. St. Benedict is collaborating with the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance (IMA), East Omaha ministries who address various city issues and the Concerned Clergy Coalition, ministers addressing violence, to promote and implement AFP throughout Omaha.
The pamphlet enclosed with this letter is being mailed to every church in Omaha and the surrounding area. For more information about adopting a family, please call 402-345-0376. When you have decided to adopt a family, call 402-345-0376 and a minister from the IMA will recommend a family for adoption.
Violence can be curbed by eliminating guns and beefing up law enforcement. But kids drop out of school, join gangs and become involved in violence because they lose hope. Your involvement in the Adopt a Family program can restore hope.
We pray that pastors will share this letter with their parishioners. The need for this program is great throughout the city.
Rev. Ken Vavrina Rev. Jeremiah McGhee Rev. Leroy Adams
St. Benedict the Moor Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance Concerned Clergy Col.
ADOPT A FAMILY PROGRAM
MISSION STATEMENT:
To compassionately help troubled families identify ad establish goals that will lead to self-sufficiency, preserve the family unit and improve their overall quality of life. When goals are identified, the program will provide each family with emotional, spiritual and educational support to pursue identified objectives using resources available through existing agencies.
PROGRAM GOALS:
- To carry out the religious message and act as the hands, feet and eyes of God.
- To build dignity, raise expectations and instill hope in the adopted family.
- To contribute to the development of the adopted family.
- To engage the congregation in community service.
- To encourage the adopted family to connect to a spiritual community that draws them closer to God.
PROGRAM OBJECTIVES:
- To select and minister to at least two families a year.
- To continually evaluate each adopted family to determine continued need for service.
- To host a quarterly Adopt-A-Family religious service to honor and encourage program participants, volunteers and the adopting congregation.
PROGRAM GUIDELINES:
Adopting Family Guidelines:
- Build a relationship with the adopted family through personal contact.
- Develop and monitor progress toward goals through regularly scheduled team meetings.
- Address instances where the family is not adhering to program guidelines or failing to meet established goals.
- All contact with the family should be documented and reported to the Program Managers.
- At least two qualified volunteers should work in tandem with each adopted family.
- Encourage church attendance and spiritual growth.
- Maintain the privacy of the adopted family.
- All volunteers will undergo a background check and attend a class in respecting the sexual dignity of children.
Adopted Family Guidelines:
Parents must:
- Be willing to set and actively work toward achievable goals.
- Maintain contact with the program.
- Be willing to divulge personal history as well as financial and health information to the program.
- Demonstrate an interest in spiritual growth and development.
- Be open to change.
- Attend program recommended training events.
AGENCIES AND THE SERVICES THEY PROVIDE:
Enclosed is a pamphlet from the United Way of the Midlands that list agencies and the services they provide. This is a ready reference to connect your adopted family with agencies that can meet their specific needs.
FOR MORE INFORMATION – to help you decide if you want to adopt a family, please call 402-345-0376.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION – can also be obtained from our web site: http://members.cox.net/stbens.
AFTER YOU HAVE DECIDED – to adopt a family, please call 402-345-0376 and you will be assigned a family for adoption.
