The First Step.....

 

....to becoming a Host Family for Safe Families for Children.  

It is so exciting to see the dream realized of launching Safe Families for Children in Northern Colorado.  There are many ways that you can get involved - one of them is by becoming a host family.  We have received several calls and are in need of host families right away.  Please share the below information with anyone you think would love to be part of opening their home for a few days to a child that needs a safe place to be for a night or a couple of months.  :)

Please go to  safe-families.org

Click on "Find SFFC Locations" under What is Safe Families?

Click on the state of Colorado on the map that is displayed on the screen

Click on the gold "Agency Home" button

Click on Helpful Resources you can Download - the password is Colorado

Click on Home Screening and App - it is the last one listed.

You can download this form and fill it out right on line and submit it.  Someone from Bethany Christian Services will be contacting you after you submit the application to come to your home to do a home assessment.

For more information contact:

Mike Walker at mwalker@timberlinechurch.org

Kari Stewart at Karalot9@gmail.com

Have a Great 4th of July!!

Clarissa's Story of Hope - Safe Families for Children

GIVE - HOST -VOLUNTEER - SHARE

Safe Families for Children Training 
Sunday - June 24 - Timberline Church
1:00-5:00 - Room 213


Watch Clarissa's Story at the link below:


Safe Families :: Home

Safe Families for Children provides care to kids and parents in crisis with the goal of supporting the entire family so that they can be reunited as quickly as possible.  Safe Families for Children is an opportunity for volunteers to have a powerful impact in the lives of others while practicing biblical hospitality and extending the love of Christ to people in need --- all from their own home!  

Parents like Clarissa find themselves in difficult situations that leaves them unable to care for their kids like they would like to.  These situations might look like:

- unemployment or loss of housing

- financial difficulties

- postpartum depression

- illness or hospitalization

- incarceration of one parent

Your compassionate response to serve families in our community through Safe Families for Children will have a positive impact in their life.  :)

Thinking About Adoption

If you are considering Adoption - click on the link below.  It has a lot of helpful information as you begin this journey.  :)

http://www.adoptionjourney.com/ 

Thinking About Adoption.

Are you considering adoption but still unsure if it is a good fit for your family? If so, we understand. Allow us to guide you through the process of considering adoption. Learn more.

Starting the Adoption Process.

Have you decided to start the adoption process? If so, great! We are excited to share with you a step-by-step process that will guide you along the way. Get started now.

Safe Families for Children - We need You!!

Safe Families for Children is launching in Northern Colorado!!!!

Matthews House along with Northern Colorado Christian Alliance for Orphans and churches in our community would like to invite you to be a part of launching this Family Strengthening Initiative in Northern Colorado.

Safe Families for Children provides care to kids and parents in crisis with the goal of supporting the entire family so that they can be reunited as quickly as possible.  Safe Families for Children is an opportunity for volunteers to have a powerful impact in the lives of others while practicing biblical hospitality and extending the love of Christ to people in need --- all from their own home!  

Parents find themselves in difficult situations that leaves them unable to care for their kids like they would like to.  These situations might look like:

- unemployment or loss of housing

- financial difficulties

- postpartum depression

- illness or hospitalization

- incarceration of one parent

There are many ways that you can help Safe Families for Children be a success in our community:

- Become a Host Family-hosts families give the kids a safe place to be while their parents work out the     details of getting their family back together.

- Support a host family through meals, supplies, prayer and encouragement

- Support through a financial gift to help Safe Families for Children to be the net of support that these families need

- Become a Safe Families for Children Church

**Orientation and Training for all levels of involvement will be on Sunday - June 24 at Timberline Church from 1-5 pm.  

We have become aware of a situation of a single mom needing to have surgery in July.  She does not have a network of support to help her care for her 5 year old daughter during her hospitilization and rehabilitation (4-6 weeks).  Let's support this mom by spreading the word about Safe Families for Children!!  

Safe Families for Children will have an impact in helping families!  They will become healthy and successful through family support services that will include Extended Coaching from the staff at Matthews House.  These coaches will meet with the parents and help them connect with resources and support that they are not aware of, while at the same time creating a net of support that they didn't have to begin with.

You can make a significant impact in a family in our community by committing to support Safe Families for Children in some way.  

Plan on attending this one afternoon training on Sunday, June 24th from 1-5 pm.  

RSVP to Kari Stewart at Karalot9@gmail.com   

Mike Walker has accepted the position as the Director of Safe Families for Children beginning July 1, 2o12.  

For more information about Safe Families for Children go to:  http://www.safe-families.org/

It is Summertime!!!  Summer can be a long season for foster and adoption families. Set aside some time to spend time with families like yours who know from experience the journey that you are on.  Our foster/adoption support group will be meeting through out the summer.  Please mark these dates on your calendar.  :)

Tonight at support group we scheduled some fun summer activities, in addition to our being together on the fourth Sunday evenings of June, July and August for our regular support group meetings from 5-7pm at Timberline.  If you would like to get in on those (our regular meetings at the church) but are needing childcare please use the link below to sign up.  The sooner you sign up the better but if you don't fill out the form at least one week prior to our meeting your kids won't have a spot in Childcare.  

http://fs8.formsite.com/timberline/Childcareenrollmentform/index.html 

Here's the summer schedule--mark your calendars and get ready for some fun times!

June 2012:

• June 11th-- moms are taking a quick tour of the FAFLC (Foster and Adoptive Families of Larimer County) facilities--the Little House (where clothes are housed and can be picked up by members of the association) and the Construction Supply Warehouse (where surplus food is stored as well as miscellaneous supplies--sometimes cribs, beds, and such for members who are in need of things for their families, especially as kids come and go from your care)  We will meet at Bounce on Lincoln Ave in Loveland at 9:30AM.  Erin Branchflower is our contact for this outing so call her if you have questions about specifics or if you get lost or are running late that morning :-)  (970) 420-5784

        more info about FAFLC if you are interested: https://faflc.org/default.aspx

• June 24th--Regular Support Group meeting (room 212 from 5-7pm at Timberline)

• June 29th--Mom's play date  Bring your kiddos and meet at Troutman Park at 9am  Come play and leave when your kids hit the wall :-) 

               Troutman park: http://www.fcgov.com/parks/finder/park/id/53    (500 West Troutman Parkway; Fort Collins)

July 2012

• July 6th--guys night out  (dad's only--no kids please)  Details TBA when the date gets closer

• July 15th--meet at 5pm at Spring Canyon Park, stay as long as you want to.  Bring your own picnic dinner for your family only. 

        link for Spring Canyon Park--this is the park if you take Horsetooth Road until it dead ends into a park on your right.   

The address is: 2626 West Horsetooth Road; Fort Collins    http://www.fcgov.com/parks/finder/spring-canyon 

• July 22nd-- Regular Support Group meeting (room 212 from 5-7pm at Timberline)

August 2012

• August 10th--Girls night out (no kids please)  Details TBA when the date gets closer

• August 26th --Regular Support Group meeting (room 212 from 5-7pm at Timberline)

We look forward to seeing you this summer as we are out and about with our group!  If you have questions feel free to contact myself (Heather Alverson-- 970.391.4913 or Erin Branchflower 970.420.5784

Hillcrest Children's Home Trip in July - Please join us!

Hillcrest  Children's Home

Hot Springs, Arkansas

July 1-7, 2012

We are so excited that you have committed or are prayerfully considering being a part of this team.  Hillcrest Children's Home is located in Hot Springs, Arkansas.  

It is going to be such a blessing to minister to the staff, the host parents and the children currently living at Hillcrest.  Our team will have the opportunity to participate in:

-  children's activities (mini sports camp) with the kids - the younger kids in the morning, the older kids in the afternoon

-  light construction projects - we will know more details about this soon

-  spending time with the young women living at Highlands Maternity Home

We will celebrate July 4th with some of the host parents and their kids during the day, then end the day in Little Rock going to a minor league baseball game complete with a cookout and fireworks!

This trip is great for individuals and families.  We ask that applicants be 12 years or older and accompanied by one parent.

There are some very important dates coming up:

- All applications must be submitted with a deposit to hold your spot by June 7th.   

- Important Team Meeting Dates:

     Sunday Potluck - June 3rd, 5-7 pm  

     Sunday Potluck - June 24th, 5-7 pm 

* Note that the originally scheduled potluck on 5/20 is rescheduled to 6/3 

We will use these team meeting times to plan our trip and get to know one another.  

We look forward to hearing that you will be part of this amazing team!!  

For more information go to: http://www.lovereaches.org/

If you have any questions please contact Team Leaders:

Lorraine Meyer - coloradobirthmothers@gmail.com  

Kari Stewart - Karalot9@gmail.com   

Graduation Celebration - Asian Hope

Blog written by Dixie Kee – Asian Hope Orphan Ministry Coordinator

Whether you have been involved with Asian Hope for some time or would like to learn more about the work in Cambodia, please join us for this long anticipated event.  Seven Cambodian students have overcome great obstacles and are now graduating from college!  They came to Asian Hope Cambodia as children who needed care and education, and now they will return to Cambodia this summer ready to make a difference!  They will be sharing their stories at a celebration dinner on June 7th, from 6:30-8:30 pm, at Cherry Hills Community Church in Highlands Ranch, CO.

Pastor Mark and I were able to travel to the locations in Phom Penh, Cambodia, where Asian Hope is making a difference.  We visited the girls’ and boys’ home where our own missionaries, Joe and Rene Hansen, are the houseparents.  We had the pleasure of meeting the young men who are still in high school or preparing for higher education, taking them their favorite beef jerky from Timberline’s youth group, and hearing their dreams for their future.

We are very impressed with Asian Hope.  I would be glad to answer any questions you may have concerning this graduation event, the work of Asian Hope, or interest in a future mission trip to Cambodia.

Dixie Kee:  dixiekee68@gmail.com

Asian Hope’s Website:  http://www.asianhope.org/