79 WAYS FAITH COMMUNITIES CAN SUPPORT FOSTER CARE CHILDREN AND FAMILIES:
1-30) Pray for CASA, children in foster care and their families
*Included is 30 days of Prayer Calendar
Awareness:
31) Go Blue During April Show your support for child abuse prevention by encouraging employees to wear blue, lighting up your business in blue, selling a blue item, or sharing awareness messages throughout April.
32) Celebrate BLUE Sunday – the last Sunday in April for National Child Abuse Prevention
*Hold a day of prayer for abused children (Blue Sunday)
33)Celebrate Foster Care Month – month of May:
* Share awareness of the need for foster families -have a CASA staff, CASA advocate or Foster Parents share/testify
34) Hold a Prayer Service for Families to be Reunified – month of June
35) Hold a prayer focus on Kinship families, these are family members or relatives that step up and take care of children pulled from their home while parents work on improving things at home (sometimes if needed, they may even adopt) – month of September
36) Celebrate National Adoption Month in November – share awareness of the need for adoptive families for children of all ages
* Participate in Stand Sunday in November
Host a Drive for our Children’s Need Closet:
37) Gift Cards (used for clothes & other everyday needs for our families)
-> Walmart, Target, Academy, …
-> Restaurants (used for birthdays & celebrations)
38) Journals, drawing pads, adult coloring books, gel pins, colored pencils, …
39) Craft supplies (all ages)
40) Board games, card games & puzzles
41) Toys – balls, dolls, cars … (all ages)
42) Baby supplies: Diapers, Wipes
43) Stuffed animals
44) Teen Needs: Hygiene products for both girls and boys
Volunteer: 45) Train to become a CASA Advocate
46) Join the CASA Board
47) Join the CASA Faith Outreach Team
48) Join the Speakers Bureau
49) Volunteer for any of our events like Cops for CASA by hosting a toy or gift card box during July/November to ensure Christmas for children in foster care.
50) Sign up to prepare a meal for our Volunteer training, Café CASA Training, or Lunch and Learn Training.
51) Create/ collect birthday cards (both children, teens, & adults)
Support our Volunteer Appreciation Week:
52) donate Sidewalk Chalk so the Supervisors can chalk our Volunteer’s driveways during Volunteer Appreciation.
53) Donate a meal for the Volunteer Appreciation Dinner
54) Bake cookies & sweets and make goodie bags to give to our volunteers
Donate:
55) Make CASA your Mission/ Community Offering
56) Pledge a monthly contribution to provide ongoing support for CASA programs and advocacy efforts.
57) Make a one-time annual gift to ensure continued advocacy for children in foster care.
58) Donate During The Panhandle Gives. Join our community-wide giving campaign in November to make a lasting impact on the lives of children in foster care.
Partnering:
59) Host a CASA Info table at your church
60) Have one of our CASA Staff come to speak and share more about CASA with your congregation/ families
61) Host a CASA training
62) Host a CASA Banner for a month
63) Like & follow us on FACEBOOK
64) Invite CASA to be part of your events or help
65) Share ministry events esp. for families so we can share with our advocates that can share with our foster families.
66) Contribute to Our Summer Silent Auction. Donate an item or service to our silent auction in June, helping us raise essential funds while showcasing your Church/business.
67) Sponsor the HeART of CASA. Support our signature fundraiser in January by becoming a sponsor and helping us raise vital funds for CASA’s advocacy work.
Family Needs:
68) Have a Community Food Pantry or help a church in your area that already has one if you don’t have room for one.
69) Host gently used clothes drive for “Back to School,” clothing
70) Host a child’s new shoe drive
71) Host a Back-to-School supply Drive for foster children
72) Host a Coat Drive for the Winter
Ministry Ideas:
73) Family Events: Make CASA Aware of so families can be made aware of Vacation Bible Schools, Movie Nights, Game Nights …
74) Provide house cleaning through a Sunday school class or small group or ladies ministry group for single families or foster/ kinship family
75) FREE or low-cost home repairs for families in need/ foster care/ kinship
76) Provide sexual abuse awareness training for all volunteers that will work with children, youth, foster families (Be another safe place for children)
77) Have a family resource table – brochures of agencies/ other churches that can support their needs that the Church might not have such as a Food Bank, counseling, …
78) Host speakers from these agencies to come speak in their area of expertise to build up awareness (domestic violence, resources for fathers, Care Center, counselors …)
79) Make families your focus – pray continuously and celebrate families regularly!!!