SHAKESPEARE WROTE, “All that glitters is not gold,” and several pastors proved this at the Second Annual Homes of Hope (HOH) Pastor’s Pageant held at the Shelbyville Central High School, in April. Even though nine pastors competed for the best swimsuit, talent, and best dressed, their wardrobes were more comical than illustrious. With the satirical pageant being nothing more than clean entertainment, the goal of everyone involved was to raise awareness and money for foster families serving in Bedford County. Funds will also go toward supporting at-risk families and families who are raising someone else’s children such as family members, neighbors, friends, etc.
For the last decade, HOH has served as a refuge for families. Although its original mission hasn’t changed, its focus has. HOH began as an alternative for families in crisis and desperate for a network of people to care for their child(ren) versus them being placed into foster care. But in 2021, after carefully reassessing the demands of the foster home community, HOH stepped into the role of actively recruiting additional foster families and began working diligently to advocate for current foster parents. Statistics reveal only one foster home out of three will continue after the first year, with most leaving due to a lack of community involvement and support. HOH and its volunteers have made it their mission to change this. If it truly takes a village, as some say, they want to be this village.
When speaking of this evolving focus, Executive Director and Founder Missy Parsons states, “From the beginning, helping families in crisis and reunification was always our goal. But in God’s infinite wisdom, we added the little phrase, ‘when possible, return the children to a loving, healthy home.’ Sometimes, it’s possible, but not always. And when it hasn’t been possible, that’s where we’ve seen God’s hand of protection and direction in the lives of those children. He’s guided them to loving Christian homes where they have learned true love. They are being taught how much God loves them, and He has a plan for their lives.”
Their newest program, the WRAP ministry (a TN Fosters Hope initiative), will meet this necessity along with many others. This integral partnership between HOH and local churches will “wrap around” both the biological parents, and the foster parents, giving them a support system to fall back on. “For us to grow, we need the church to become the ‘boots on the ground’ in building relationships and meeting the physical needs of the families,” Parsons said. “One person can’t manage that many needs as we continue to grow in the number of families we serve.” The participating churches would fill requests from foster parents assigned to them, and if unable to do so, assistance from the community would follow. These may include babysitting, preparing bedrooms for new placements, house/yard work, running errands, preparing meals, purchasing gift cards, and offering prayer and limitless encouragement.
If the church doesn’t step up to be the solution, who will? With only a handful of foster homes in Bedford County, there is an immediate need for Christian families to get involved by volunteering to foster or by starting a WRAP ministry within their church,” said Parsons.
As the demand for foster homes has grown across Bedford County and all of Middle Tennessee, so have the financial demands of HOH. The annual Pastor’s Pageant is one of two fundraisers with the other being the fall dinner and auction which will be held on Saturday, October 1, at the Blue Ribbon Circle Club. With the help of good-natured men of God, this year’s pageant raised about $7,000. “It feels like we’re the best-kept secret in Bedford County,” said Parsons, regarding HOH, “But things are starting to shift into place after 10 years.”
Those involved with the ministry of HOH have the vision to employ a full-time director by 2024, so the demand for additional funds is crucial. This person would be available to work alongside the Department of Children Services and attend family/team meetings regardingchildren in care. They could stand with families during court appearances so they will never face their crisis alone. More time would be devoted to raising awareness through speaking engagements and additional fundraising opportunities once this position is funded. “God laid a burden on my heart to take care of the children in our community,” said Parsons, “I didn’t know what that was going to look like at the time. I speculated, but God’s plans are always better than mine.”
Parsons and her team of dedicated volunteers would like to personally thank everyone involved in the pageant, especially the pastors who make this fundraiser a night to remember, every April.
For more information about how you can get involved with Homes of Hope of Bedford County, donate, or start your WRAP ministry, go to: www. hohobc.org, or find them on Facebook. GN
