Deciding to foster a child is full of unknowns: Where are they coming from? How long will they stay? What will they be like? Can you really help them? You make that decision based on only one certainty: Somewhere, there is a child with no one, and you could be their someone. You fill out the paperwork, you take the classes, and then you wait for the calls to start. And when you finally accept a call, things are never the same.
Our first placement was a little boy who had just celebrated his 1st birthday. He had been found by law enforcement, sound asleep, in the middle of a dangerous situation. A few people very close to us brought supplies to our house that first night, helping us to get him settled. But, knowing how much more we would need, I was quick to schedule our first visit to PS I Love You.
When I went into their Resource Center, I was met with smiles, kindness, and appreciation for our work as foster parents. The team walked me through the closet, helped me pick out clothes and toys, and filled a bag with diapers, wipes, and other supplies to take home. I had known that they were there to help, but I left that first visit on the verge of tears, completely overwhelmed by their generosity.
The world of foster care is frightening, even for parents, and it was clear from the outset that PS I Love You was a safe place for all of us. Their team members understood what we were doing, why it was so important, and how hard it really was—and because they loved the Lord and loved us, we knew we could trust them to really help us.
Whenever we reached out to PS I Love You, our needs were more than met. They encouraged us, prayed for us, provided meals, helped with Christmas gifts, and introduced us to others in the foster care community. We were blessed to form many wonderful friendships, but we never found another organization quite like theirs.
They supported us all the way through our son’s 785 days in foster care, at the end of which he was adopted into our family. He is now 3 years old. He is happy, healthy, and thriving, and he is an amazing big brother to our biological daughter. Just looking at him, you would never know what he has been through, but the team at PS I Love You knows… Because they have served hundreds of children just like him.
PS I Love You Ministries is doing more than any other organization to wrap around foster parents as they seek to serve Spartanburg’s children. Our gratitude to them is inexpressible, and we look forward to supporting them in the coming years as much as they have supported us.
- Sarah Burnett
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