Page 14 - Our Hands SPRING 2019

FOSTER CARE

Help Michigan

Turn Purple

for Foster Care

ay is foster care awareness month
and for the second year in a row,
MSamaritas is “painting the town
purple” in honor of this special month. In
addition to focusing media relations efforts
and advertising messaging on this month,
Samaritas foster parent recruiters will be
using stickers, spray chalk and lawn signs
to get the word out about how it “takes
a purple village” to make sure foster kids
get the safe, loving home they deserve and
the support they need to be successful in
school, with relationships and in life. Engage Your Community

“It’s so important for foster kids to have • Write a letter to the newspaper editor Make it Personal
the support they need. Being removed and encourage others to do so
from their home because of neglect or • Recruit members of your organization, • Share your thoughts and support for
abuse is a traumatic situation, and even church, workplace, neighborhood or foster care on your social media sites
though so many of these children are community center to volunteer to • Use the hashtags
incredibly resilient, it means a lot when support foster families or to become #ItTakesAPurpleVillage and
they know they have a community of foster parents #SamaritasFosters to show your
caring people who want to help them,” • Organize an event such as a dinner, support
said Angie Henry, who oversees the foster coffee or picnic and invite foster • Sponsor a scholarship for a young
care licensing workers for Samaritas. families, community activists, elected person who is making the transition
officials and your friends from foster care to self-sufficiency
Raise Public Awareness • Encourage them to hold their own • Wear purple on May 7th and tell
events people why
• Distribute information about foster
care needs in your community • Shine a purple porchlight during May
• Distribute information on ways Tap into Local Businesses • Tie a purple ribbon around a tree in
members of your community can • Request the assistance of your religious your front yard
make a difference in the lives of young and business leaders in building foster • Consider becoming a foster parent
people in foster care, such as becoming care awareness in the community
a mentor or sponsoring a foster child • Ask business owners to light up their
for Christmas business with purple lights on May 7th
• Write, visit, call or e-mail your Elected (and all month, if they will)
Officials to request that your governor, • Offer special discounts or gifts to
state legislators and mayor proclaim customers who are identified as foster
May 7 as Foster Care Awareness Day families
• Ask local restaurants to sponsor a
meal, party or celebration for foster
families in the community The Blue Bridge in Grand Rapids will be purple for Foster Care Awareness

Ivy's Story

Ivy was born on Jan 15 2017, and met her parents on Jan 19 2017. Ivy was born to her birth
mom and met her parents through foster care. At 17 months old, on June 15 2018, Ivy was
adopted into her forever family. Ivy's parents say it was the best day of their lives. After
all the years of praying to Jesus for a baby, He gave them one through foster care and
adoption.

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