Shawn Russell
12-24-2013, 2:34 PM
Please delete or move if this is not appropriate.
Nothing for sale, but I wanted to extend a huge thank you to everyone that bought tools and DVDs from me. This was an experiment that I was running with our foster children. It’s purpose was to show how you steward things and funds. My aim was to show the kids that with creativity and purpose you can turn ordinary things that you own and no longer use into a blessing for others; and if you are creative you can multiple the giving.
We sold a total of $756.00 dollar. I rounded that amount to an even $800.00 and matched those funds with another $800.00. My match was submitted to my employer who also matched my $800.00 for a total of $2,400.00 that was given to foster care.
We had several area organizations donate gifts to all the foster care children in our county. We have one foster child that has been with us for a year and is someone we are actively pursuing adoption. On her own she decided to donate several of her dolls that were given to her to help with healing the trauma she has experienced. She in turn did not want to just give the doll away she wanted to talk to another little girl who had been through the same experiences she has been through. I would be a liar if I said I did not shed a tear, or two, seeing discipleship unfold before me.
My kid(I love the sound of that) and I spent Monday and this early morning delivery gifts for other foster children. Our county has ballooned in the number of children that entered care; we usually average around 130-140 kids but in the last 3 months we have taken in over 60 kids. All the while the number of foster/adoptive parents has dropped to under 20 and we have lost case workers and investigators. Case workers are now averaging over 30+ cases each, supervisors have taken on case loads, and even the director has a few cases that she manages. Needless to say there was no way the case workers could have delivered presents to every child in our county: some of the children are as far as way 260 miles from their home county. We headed out at 07:30 and did not return home until close to dark.
All this to say a huge thank you! I did not expect to collect so much nor did I expect the children to want to give back so much. Thank you all and a Merry Christmas.
Nothing for sale, but I wanted to extend a huge thank you to everyone that bought tools and DVDs from me. This was an experiment that I was running with our foster children. It’s purpose was to show how you steward things and funds. My aim was to show the kids that with creativity and purpose you can turn ordinary things that you own and no longer use into a blessing for others; and if you are creative you can multiple the giving.
We sold a total of $756.00 dollar. I rounded that amount to an even $800.00 and matched those funds with another $800.00. My match was submitted to my employer who also matched my $800.00 for a total of $2,400.00 that was given to foster care.
We had several area organizations donate gifts to all the foster care children in our county. We have one foster child that has been with us for a year and is someone we are actively pursuing adoption. On her own she decided to donate several of her dolls that were given to her to help with healing the trauma she has experienced. She in turn did not want to just give the doll away she wanted to talk to another little girl who had been through the same experiences she has been through. I would be a liar if I said I did not shed a tear, or two, seeing discipleship unfold before me.
My kid(I love the sound of that) and I spent Monday and this early morning delivery gifts for other foster children. Our county has ballooned in the number of children that entered care; we usually average around 130-140 kids but in the last 3 months we have taken in over 60 kids. All the while the number of foster/adoptive parents has dropped to under 20 and we have lost case workers and investigators. Case workers are now averaging over 30+ cases each, supervisors have taken on case loads, and even the director has a few cases that she manages. Needless to say there was no way the case workers could have delivered presents to every child in our county: some of the children are as far as way 260 miles from their home county. We headed out at 07:30 and did not return home until close to dark.
All this to say a huge thank you! I did not expect to collect so much nor did I expect the children to want to give back so much. Thank you all and a Merry Christmas.