EASTON, Pa. – Stand Sunday took place November 9th, which coincides with November being National Adoption Month. So, a handful of local churches joined forces with a number of agencies helping foster and adoptive families, gathering in Easton.
“Stand Sunday is an awareness to kind of highlight the needs of vulnerable children and orphans,” said Sarah Whiteford, County Coordinator for Keystone Family Alliance.
A day honored all over the globe and especially in churches. Rita McIntyre serves as an advocate for adoptive families at Calvary Baptist Church. She said, “We want to ensure that people in the area, especially the churches are aware of these children waiting and that they can do something to help these children.”
There are hundreds of children in need of love. “So in the Lehigh Valley there are about 500 children who are waiting for families to foster or adopt them,” said McIntyre.
But, helping doesn’t mean you have to adopt or foster. McIntyre said, “I think the main message is everyone can do something for these children.”
There are ways to support adoptive and foster families, by providing meals, childcare, and donated items.
“We know that foster families without a care community around them, typically they don’t finish fostering for a full year,” said McIntyre. “They only do about 50% of fostering for a full year. Once they have a community of care around them, that number jumps to 90%.”
Pastor Paul Wilson of Calvary Baptist Church knows first-hand. His family has adopted and fostered multiple children. He said, “When we all put our hand in the pile, there’s something amazing that can happen real lives of real kids who really need it.”