23 APRIL, 2024
Faith for Foster Care Lunch
In early 2024, our team met with the Director of Social Welfare, who emphasized the government’s interest in partnering with organizations like Mother’s Choice to leverage their networks across the city. There is an urgent need to recruit foster families to care for the thousands of children waiting for a placement in the social welfare system.
In response to this challenge, Mother’s Choice organized a special luncheon on Wednesday, April 23, 2024, aimed at raising awareness of the pressing child crisis issues facing our city. The faith community plays a crucial role in inspiring residents to open their hearts and homes to foster care. This event brought together faith leaders to celebrate their impact and encourage advocacy within their spheres of influence.
Moderated by Kit Ying Chan, our Community Ambassador, the bilingual panel featured prominent leaders who have personal experience with foster care:
– Cadence Lam, Director of Fostering and Adoption Ministry, Solomon’s Porch
– Ellison Tsang, Generations Pastor, The Vine Church
– Shannon Hilliard, Director of the Marvel Ministry, Island ECC
The luncheon concluded with a heartfelt prayer by Jackie Pullinger, calling on churches to step forward and advocate for the needs of foster children.
We were thrilled by the overwhelming response, with guests from a diverse array of local and international churches, as well as representatives from peer child welfare agencies and foster parents, uniting to address this critical issue.
Additionally, this event set the stage for May, which is International Foster Care Awareness Month. Mother’s Choice provided various opportunities for churches to engage, including:
– Inviting a Mother’s Choice staff member or foster family to speak during services
– Distributing informational leaflets in pews to raise awareness
– Inviting church members to a Foster Care information session hosted by Mother’s Choice
The luncheon was a powerful and uplifting experience. If you or your faith community are
interested in exploring foster care, we would love to connect with you!
