LOCAL OUTREACH
FOSTERING HOPE
PLACE OF PROMISE
PREGNANCY CARE CENTER
SOMEBODY CARES
THE PETTENGILL HOUSE
FOSTERING HOPE
SERVE WITH
FOSTERING HOPE
Providence, RI
Hope Connectors: Michael Morse
Fostering Hope empowers churches and individuals to care for children and families impacted by foster care. Their vision is the dream of a day when ZERO children in foster care are waiting for a safe and supported family to care for them.
Ideally, as often as possible, the safe and supported family turns out to be the child’s family of origin through family preservation or reunification. In the meantime, however, there is an urgent need for more foster families willing to care for children in foster care until they can safely return home. In the instance that reunification is not possible, children need someone willing to permanently adopt them into their family. Currently, there is a chronic shortage of such families.
The good news? Together we can FLIP the SCRIPT so that instead of children waiting for safe and supported foster or adoptive families, safe and supported foster and adoptive families are the ones waiting for a child who needs them!
Hope Community Church serves as a catalyst church for the Fostering Hope Merrimack Valley Network (FHMV) and is an affiliate ministry of Fostering Hope New England. FHMV is a grassroots movement working to mobilize and network the body of Christ and community to meet the needs of local children in foster care, foster families and support our local DCF office.
“God sees hard places and broken people and moves toward them, not away. He is ‘with us.’ He wrapped Himself up in our brokenness, carried our brokenness to the Cross, and was broken by our brokenness so that we don’t have to be broken anymore. God saw us in our plight and moved towards us, not away. That’s the gospel … Why would we immerse – or incarnate – ourselves into hard and broken places? Because that’s what Christ has done for us.” -Jason Johnson, ALL IN
Family Support Initiative
Families don’t have to “go it alone.” The church can help by providing on-demand, quick-response, short-term, emergency assistance to DCF foster and intact families in the form of material goods and selected services without duplicating existing services. Our intended outcome is to promote family security and safety and to support foster/kinship homes and social workers. We will be creating an email distribution list to notify when needs are identified. Participants will be notified when there is a need and respond if it's something you can do. We will be giving monthly updates on needs that have been fulfilled. Many hands make light work! If you have questions or would like to be put on the distribution list email Peter Crossley.
Spend One-on-One Time with a Child at the Local DCF Office
Sometimes, children in DCF custody need to spend time during the day in the office while social workers are setting up services. Volunteering to play one-on-one with a child can ease their anxiety and alienation. The goal is to have a pool of volunteers to draw on as the need arises. For more info, email Pam Newcombe.
Become a Foster/Adoptive Home
Our goal is to exceed the need for Licensed DCF Foster homes through raising up foster families in the local Church so there’s a waiting bed for every child coming into the Massachusetts DCF Foster care system. Learn more about becoming a licensed foster or adoptive home in Massachusetts.
Support a Foster Family
Our goal is to wrap around support and training for Foster Families at Hope Community Church and in the Community. You can join a SupportONE team that provides care, encouragement and services to foster families (i.e. child care, meals, transportation, prayer, etc.).
PLACE OF PROMISE
SERVE AT
PLACE OF PROMISE
Lowell, MA
www.placeofpromise.org
Hope Connector: Amy Widronak
Place of Promise provides Christ-centered programming for men, women and children to experience physical, emotional, relational, and spiritual healing. It exists to see a life transformed, leaving behind death and despair while beginning a new life of hope and potential.
Individuals come to Place of Promise with a long history of homelessness, incarceration, neglected medical conditions, mental disorders, abuse, and trauma, as well as alcohol and opioid drug addictions. Referrals are received from social services agencies, drug and alcohol treatment centers, health care facilities, courts, prisons, families, and churches. Our only criterion for entry is a genuine desire for a new life.
PREGNANCY CARE CENTER
SERVE AT
PREGNANCY CARE CENTER
Haverhill, MA; Lawrence, MA; Lowell, MA
www.pccnortheast.org
Hope Connector: Mary Beth Abate
The Pregnancy Care Center exists to help women know and understand all their pregnancy options. Their focus is to come alongside women and their families who are facing unplanned pregnancies.
The Center is a non-profit ministry of Jesus Christ committed to saving lives physically, spiritually and emotionally… one life at a time. Their services are free and confidential resulting in no organizational benefit from the decisions made.
Check out their Virtual Tour Video.
SOMEBODY CARES
SERVE AT
SOMEBODY CARES NEW ENGLAND
Haverhill, MA
www.somebodycaresne.org
Hope Connector: Peter Crossley
Somebody Cares New England is a non-profit, Christ based community caring organization, committed to alleviating hunger and homelessness, as well as being an advocate for children, youth and the elderly. God cares and so does Somebody Cares! God loves the people of Haverhill, and it a privilege to be used by Him to impact those living in distress.
-Food Pantry
-Open to Haverhill residents in need
-Youth Center
-Providing life skills training to youth ages 7-18
-Community Outreach Events
-Basketball & Creative Arts Summer Camp
-Christmas gift giveaway for kids and teens
-Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday meals
Volunteer!
Somebody Cares is dependent upon caring individuals, churches, businesses, and foundations to support the work they are doing. They hold quarterly volunteer meetings. Check out their calendar for the next meeting to find out how you can get plugged in to serving in your community!
-Food Pantry Prep
-Food Pantry
-Mobile Food Pantry
-Christmas Gifts
-Holiday Meals
-Community Events
-Youth Center
Please contact Somebody Cares to find out how you can get involved and help to make an impact on those living in distress.
THE PETTENGILL HOUSE
SERVE AT
THE PETTENGILL HOUSE
Salisbury, MA
www.pettengillhouse.org
Hope Connector: Sharon O’Connell
The Pettengill House, Inc. is a nonprofit community social service agency providing comprehensive case management, basic needs support, emergency assistance, crisis intervention, and an array of essential programs and services for individuals, children and families of all ages across nine Massachusetts communities.
Their Mission is to support and empower individuals, children and families by providing education, comprehensive case management, and basic needs; and by coordinating community supports that contribute to individual and family stabilization, personal growth and development.