Page 18 - Florida Sentinel 10-7-16 Online Edition

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Communities Challenged To Seriously Consider Adopting Or Mentoring Siblings
This is an urgent and im- portant question that must be raised time and time again, but each time, there is a different child or children. One Church One Child of Florida is reaching out to families and individuals in local communities across the state in efforts to help share the truth that the children pictured here and others like them are waiting for a per- manent home and/or men- tor.
Daily, over 700 children are in need of a family to call their own; many of them are minorities. Can you provide a loving, permanent home for these siblings or other children like them or con- sider becoming their men- tor?
Churches are asked to partner with One Church One Child in sharing infor- mation with congregations and extending Watch-Care
Ministries to children.
Rev. Beverly Hills Lane, State President for One Church One Child of Florida and Vice-President for Na- tional One Church One Child, is challeng- ing fellow Pastors to get involved and en- couraging families to open their hearts and homes to children.
know just what but- tons to push to drive each other crazy. But woven between the teasing and practical jokes is a wide ribbon of loyalty, pride and love.
“He’s annoying, but he cares, even when he doesn’t show it,” says Stephania. “She’s smart and she’s fun. I’ll always watch out for her and keep her safe,” says Rugge.
“I’d like to make one where you can choose if you want to be a superhero or a villain,” Rugge says. “You’d have your choice of super- powers and there’d be lots of different cars and trucks and” – “I’d play his video game,” interrupts his sister. “But there would be no girls in the game,” says Rugge. “Then you aren’t going to get paid, because there are a lot of girls in this world,” coun- ters a practical Stephania. “Okay but if you’re going to be a superhero I’m making that superhero three feet tall,” says Rugge.
Both like to watch scary movies, though Stephania admits she’s “very jumpy.” “I scare her all the time,” laughs Rugge, “and she tries to scare me, but it never works. I give her props for trying, though.”
The two are hoping to find a home together with parents who are “fun, fast- paced and adventurous, just like us!” says Rugge.
If you are interested in knowing more about Rugge and Stephania and other children in foster care avail- able for adoption, or if you would like to become a foster parent, mentor, partner or volunteer, please contact LaKay Fayson, Recruit- ment Coordinator for One Church One Child of Florida, at (813) 740-0210 or lakay_fayson@ococfl.org.
The website for One Church One Child of Florida is www.ococfl.org.
These series of ar-
ticles feature children located in communi-
ties across the state;
they have no family identified to adopt
them, will you take the chal- lenge of opening your home and family to parenting them?
October’s children are highlighted in this article; they too deserve to have a family. Do pray sincerely for them and consider making them a part of your family
RUGGE AND STEPHANIA
(By Betsy Marotto - Southern Region)
through adoption or a part of your church through Project Watch-Care, for support and mentoring.
Featured here in the Oc- tober series of photographs are two youth.
Stephania and her younger brother, Rugge,
The siblings live with the same foster family, and are helping to raise a household menagerie that includes dogs, birds and turtles. They also attend the same school. Stephania thinks she’d like to be a nurse one day, while Rugge can see himself as an engi- neer, or maybe he’ll design
video games.
PAGE 6-B FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2016