Join us as we move towards vulnerable children and families, the essence of being a gritty disciple.
Providing Support
As Christians, we have a God who cares for the vulnerable and who shows us how to do the same. Children in foster care need caring families to support them through healing as they go on to be reunified with their biological family, a relative, or to be adopted.
Not everyone is called to foster or adopt, but all Christians are called to care for the vulnerable. At Ridgedale we seek to care for foster families, kinship families, and adoptive families by providing support in a variety of ways. Everyone in the church can do something, from writing cards, or delivering a meal, to house work. There are lots of tangible ways to lift up foster parents to help them better care for each child in their home.
This is where Ridgedale and other churches in the Chattanooga area come in. We want to provide WRAP around care for families! Agencies continually have a need for stable foster parents, and so many foster homes choose to close due to feeling overwhelmed, and not having enough support. WRAP teams provide that support! Through the WRAP model, foster families can receive a meal during a busy week of appointments and social worker visits, or be blessed by others who volunteer to babysit. We have structured WRAP teams to enable you to minister to a foster family with ease throughout your normal routines.
WRAP teams
WRAP is an acronym for each area of support we desire to provide to foster families.
As a WRAP team member, you pick one area to serve in and focus on supporting your team’s foster family each month!
W
Words of Encouragement – Sending uplifting texts, regular notes, children drawing pictures for other children, etc.
R
Respite Care – Providing a time to watch foster parent’s children so that they can go to the store, have a date night, or do some self care.
A
Acts of Service – Doing housework like laundry, cleaning, cooking, yard work, car maintenance, any other service you can imagine!
P
Prayer – Lifting up the foster parents, children, biological parents, caseworkers, and more that are involved in each situation, and asking families what they need prayer for.
If you feel drawn to one WRAP area above, sign up to be a volunteer to provide care for a foster family in the Chattanooga Area.
Why Wrap Teams? (Video)
WRAP Teams Make A Difference (Video)
If you have more questions, email our Foster Care Ministry Director at carolinep@ridgedalebaptist.org.
The Haven at Ridgedale
OUR MISSION is to engage our community by providing a place of rest and safety for children in foster care as they wait for a foster home.
OUR VISION is to see children encounter the love of Jesus through their time at the Haven.
The Department of Children’s Services works hard daily to place children in loving foster homes. With the shortage of foster homes in Tennessee, many children face the problem of waiting in the DCS office for an open home. Taken from their known surroundings and placed into a cubicle-filled, florescent-lit space that is not meant for children is the heartbreaking reality of most children in state custody. The situation is even more drastic for children with higher risk needs who may take longer to find placement for. As a community, we are opening The Haven at Ridgedale, a comfortable, temporary home for children in foster care where they can receive the love of Jesus through things like a good meal, warm shower, new clothing, and more!
Join us at our fundraising luncheon!
Ways to Help!
Construction on The Haven will begin in August 2023. As we prepare to open this home to guests, we need your help!
Prayer
The provision of God has been evident from the start of our foster care ministry and we are excited to see him continue to provide. As we start construction we need prayer for work to go smoothly. We covet prayers over our staff as we work to welcome children into The Haven, prayers for each child who enters The Haven as they experience pain and loss, prayer over DCS workers who will stay with the children 24/7, and prayers for our volunteers who will help The Haven run.
Donations
The Haven would not be possible without the generous donations of others. Through monetary donations we will be able to complete renovations to make our space safe and up to code, as well as keep The Haven up and running filled with comforting food for each guest. Through donations of new clothing, furniture, and toys we can host our guests well. And through the donation of time by volunteering at our house in a variety of ways, we can show the love of Jesus personally to each child.
Volunteers
We have a variety of ways to volunteer at The Haven!
Buddies: Volunteer as a buddy to be present with a child while they are at The Haven. The DCS worker will be calling foster homes, or facilities to find placement for children, but we all know kids like to be entertained. A buddy’s role is to do age appropriate activities with the child they volunteer with.
Organizers: A team to help keep our storage closet with clothing, toys, and supplies, organized, labeled, and clean.
Meal Team: We need volunteers to deliver meals to The Haven for the children and social workers present each day the space is occupied. If you have the gift of cooking, or buying meals, we would love to have you serve in this way!
Clean Up Crew: To help our house be fresh for every person that walks through the door, we need people who love to clean! Volunteers will take out trash, sweep, vacuum, change bedding, do laundry, dishes, and reset the home for our next guests.
Administrative Needs: Use your gifts to help with data entry for clothing and item donations.
Media Team: Social media, photography, videography, will all help spread the word about how The Haven at Ridgedale can impact lives.
Fundraising Team: Creating and executing fundraising events or campaigns to help The Haven be sustainable long term.
Events team: Help plan and run events to raise awareness about The Haven at Ridgedale
To Volunteer, email: carolinep@ridgedalebaptist.org
To join our email list for updates sign up here:
Our Amazon Wish List
To make The Haven a welcoming home!
If you have more questions, email our Foster Care Ministry Director at carolinep@ridgedalebaptist.org.
Are you a foster or adoptive family in need of support?
Fill out our form and we will be in contact with ways we can serve you!
Check out our events page for upcoming events for foster and adoptive families
