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FEATURED
Building a Family
There is a very thin line between being a parent and a foster parent. Both roles require patience, love, understanding and respect. The bond created between a child and his or her foster family can be as strong as that of a biological child. This is why, when reunification between a foster child and the biological parents is no longer an option, some foster parents decide to cross over that line and adopt the children they have cared for as their own.
When Narciso and Cheryl Gonzalez decided to become foster parents, they had already raised two daughters to adulthood and welcomed three children through adoption. Narciso and Cheryl feel they have always been called to help children and have been especially drawn to helping children with special needs.
When their two daughters were in their late teens, Narciso and Cheryl made the decision, after careful thought and prayer, to expand their family through adoption and welcomed their first son, Alex. They were then led to adopt Jacob and Deanna, both of whom had their own special medical needs. Considering their already unique familial makeup, Narciso and Cheryl knew that bringing any child into their home through foster care would be a delicate situation.
“We were very conscious of the needs of our children and the needs of the children in foster care,” said Cheryl. “It had to be a good fit.”
They spent careful time communicating with their own children to help them understand the needs of those in foster care. They then developed an organized routine to make sure everyone would have their needs met within the growing household.
“Being a foster parent means you have to learn an entirely new love language,” Narciso says. “Not just in the way you communicate with the new child entering your home, but with your spouse and your other children.”
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WHAT'S NEW
World Refugee Day 2011
June 20th is World Refugee Day!
Join us Sunday, June 19, 2011 to celebrate the strength and courage of millions of refugees worldwide.
12 - 4 PM
Laurel Hills Community Park
3808 Edward Mills Rd, Raleigh (Bus #38)
Please join us for an afternoon of food, sport & recognition.
Presented in partnership with USCRI North Carolina.
“On World Refugee Day, let us reaffirm the importance of solidarity and burden-sharing by the international community. Refugees have been deprived of their homes, but they must not be deprived of their futures.” -UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
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Refugees are people who are forced to flee their home country due to a well-founded fear of persecution due to their race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion.
Currently there are more than 13 million people worldwide who have been forced to flee persecution in their home country and live as refugees in a foreign land. Millions more are displaced internally within their own country. Many are forced to live for years in overcrowded refugee camps where they must struggle daily to meet their basic needs. Those who are not able to reach the protection of a camp must live in unstable and dangerous conditions, moving often from place to place to avoid danger. All are in need of a safe place to call home.
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The Faces of LFS
Debbie Tuggle
Program Director
Qualified Developmental Disability Professional (QDDP)
Working for a nonprofit isn’t about the money! It’s more about answering a call to serve your neighbors in need, and Program Director Debbie Tuggle says she has always felt that calling.
“I work for LFS out of personal passion to help others and ensure that those whose voices are not heard are recognized and helped accordingly,” said Debbie. “An innate need to help others, or call to serve, governs my longevity with LFS.”
Debbie joined LFS more than a decade ago, and she now oversees the operation of three adult residential programs. Two of those programs serve adults with traumatic brain injury, and the third is a transitional apartment program that serves adults with severe and profound mental illness. Debbie takes her work very seriously because she says it is so much more than just another job.
“It’s not numbers on paper or items to be packaged or trash to be emptied or shelves to stock,” said Debbie. “It’s people. It’s real. It’s their life, and I am responsible.”
“I am responsible not for a job but for a human condition,” added Debbie. “It’s not something I do; it’s something I believe in that drives me.”
Debbie’s day-to-day duties can vary from hands-on interactions with clients to corresponding with parents, guardians, case managers and other professionals to discuss client goals, progress, needs and more. She helps link clients to services, while monitoring their daily activities, appointments and well-being.
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Party with a Purpose
LFS invites you to host a Party with a Purpose, a small party held to introduce 10 of your closest friends to the mission of LFS. Your party can be organized in many different ways; including small dinner parties, breakfast gatherings, backyard barbeques, social hours, etc.
The goal of Party with a Purpose is to showcase the mission of LFS Carolinas and highlight the need for ongoing community support, which will hopefully motivate your friends to make a financial contribution. An LFS development associate would be at your party to give a presentation about LFS Carolinas and encourage guests to make a donation.
Attn Thrivent Members:
If your Thrivent chapter and/or church groups are looking for ways to help LFS Carolinas, please consider holding a Party with a Purpose! It is a fun and easy way to help us raise funds during a time when cash donations are critically needed. As you know, if at least six of your guests are Thrivent members, then the donations we receive would be matched by Thrivent.
If you are interested in helping with this important fundraising initiative, contact:
NC - Michael Handy, (704) 301-4497, michael.handy@lfscarolinas.org
SC - Courtney McDuffie, (803) 461-2613, courtney.mcduffie@lfscarolinas.org
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Upcoming Events
Foster Care Information Session
June 2, 2011
6 - 7:30 PM
4822 Albemarle Rd
Charlotte, NC 28205
World Refugee Day
June 19, 2011
12 - 4 PM
Laurel Hills Community Park
3808 Edward Mills Rd Raleigh, NC (Bus #38)
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Food Lion Community Rewards
When you shop at Food Lion you can support LFS! Register your MVP card online with the Food Lion Community Rewards program. Select LFS Carolinas as your charity using our organization code 252293. Every time you shop using your card, LFS will get a percentage of all Food Lion brand products purchased.
BI-LO Boosters Plus
LFS can also earn one percent of your purchases at BI-LO. Just print the this enrollment card and take it with you next time you shop.
Donate Today
There are many ways you can support LFS Carolinas as we help the vulnerable people in our communities. To learn how your gift can make a difference click here.
1-800-HELPING
www.lfscarolinas.org
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