Mission Update from One More Child
Every week, the leadership and staff of One More Child come together for prayer and devotion to celebrate the encouraging progress in our ongoing mission to serve vulnerable children and struggling families, all for the glory of God.
Here is a glimpse into the recent good news, activities, and accomplishments at One More Child:
NEW PARTNERSHIP, GREATER IMPACT IN CINCINNATI
As One More Child expands our reach across the country, our impact on the lives of vulnerable children, families, and individuals continues to grow. One More Child programs provide direct services in five states: Florida, Texas, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Ohio, and our reach extends to 26 states through our national distribution system.
Recently, our Anti-Trafficking Mobile Team program in Cincinnati, Ohio expanded with a local partnership that makes a great impact in the lives of trafficking survivors. This partnership engages with women currently serving sentences associated with charges accrued while they were battling addiction.
In association with the Addiction Services Council and Hamilton County Justice Center in Cincinnati, One More Child provides an advocacy and life skills support group for these women once a month. These meetings provide education and guidance on the intersection of sex trafficking and addiction, sharpening employment and practical life skills, and utilizing services provided by One More Child. The most recent group that met in November had the highest attendance since the program started this past summer.
FOSTERING LOVE IN FOSTER CARE
Foster care provides a beautiful opportunity to shower the love of Jesus onto children in vulnerable or difficult situations. For many children, foster care is a temporary phase of transition while the best home situation for the child is determined. During this time, foster children need loving caregivers, genuine advocates, and compassionate people on their team.
These are the roles Connor* and Angel* took on when they welcomed little Riley* into their home.
As licensed foster parents through One More Child, Connor and Angel partnered with the professional foster care team, medical professionals, therapists, and family members to meet Riley’s needs. This team worked together to reunite Riley with an out of state family member, and Connor and Angel worked diligently to maintain communication and set up a visit to make this transition as smooth as possible.
These dedicated foster parents led with love, and thanks to their commitment to compassion, Riley was successfully reunified with a family member.
*Names changed for privacy.
GIFTS OF HOPE THIS CHRISTMAS
The Christmas season is known as a time for gifts, toys, and goodies, but by partnering with One More Child you give more than what’s wrapped in a bow—you can give hope.
For many vulnerable children and struggling families, Christmas is marked by a time of fear and hardship, but every year, One More Child partners with organizations, community groups, and individuals to bring hope and joy to those in need. One of those partnerships is with a group called the “ELFS.”
Two best friends, Dorothy and Judy, started this group in 2007 to bring Christmas goody bags to children in an orphanage, starting with just three children. Over the years, they grew to provide goody bags to hundreds and eventually thousands more children.
As the group grew, so did their partnerships, extending beyond that first orphanage to include more organizations such as One More Child. Every year at Christmas time, we know we can rely on the ELFS to drop off goody bags and toys for the children we serve.
A few years ago, Dorothy passed away and is now with the Lord, but her family stepped up to carry on her legacy and reach more children in her honor. Thank you, ELFS, for providing gifts of hope this Christmas!
One More Child also holds our annual Operation Merry Christmas, a gift drive for children and families in our programs. We are thrilled to share that this week our Single Moms program in Lakeland received 100% of the items on their wish list!
To everyone who bought gifts or contributed to make this happen for our single moms in Lakeland, thank you!
If you would like to buy a gift for a child in need this Christmas, check out the wish lists here —and hurry because One More Child’s elves, aka our staff, are beginning to prepare these gifts for our children and families.
We invite you to join our mission to reach one more child with the hope of Jesus this Christmas season and beyond!
