Shameless plug...

A couple of years ago I was introduced to a pretty amazing organization:  Sevenly.  They select a different charity to support every week.  Some are national, some are international.  One week, one cause, one t-shirt design.  The t-shirts sell for $22.  For every shirt sold Sevenly gives $7 to the weekly cause.  This week's cause is Together We Rise.  A non-profit organization that works to fund various programs set up to provide a sense of normalcy to foster children...a bike, a new book bag for school, clothing, Christmas presents, even something as simple as a suitcase or duffle bag to help them move.  Support for foster children is something that is near and dear to my heart.

Before my first birthday my parents, pastors of a small North Caroline church, stumbled into the world of being foster parents. I say "stumbled" because they didn't set out to become a foster family but there was a large family in the community that desperately needed an intervention.  The parents had already made their choices.  The children were reaping the consequences.

Three of the children (a 13-year-old girl and her two young brothers ages 2 and 4) moved in with us.  It was only supposed to be for a few weeks until the state could find a more permanent home.  Turns out, that home was us.  They lived with us for three years.  Their biological mother refused to release them for adoption and we were headed to Africa. That would have taken crossing state lines to the extreme.  But they did remain together as another family in the church took them in.

Every single abandonment issue I have stems from the moment we told them good bye.  I was three and a half years old.  No amount of reasoning would make a difference.  My brothers and sister were gone.  I can only imagine what it was like from their point of view.  I was the one staying with our parents, they were the ones being left behind. 

Through the years we've remained in touch.  I still claim them as my brothers and sister.  And I'll forever be their baby sister.  I can't say their lives have been easy.  But I can say they are happy, well adjusted, hard working adults and loving parents (and in the eldest sister's case...grandparent!).  I get to see them in a few weeks.  Last time we actually all got together I was 16.  Schedules and world traveling wreck havoc on family reunions.  This one is long over due!

I encourage everyone to go to Sevenly's website.  Look at the what they're doing, get on their newsletter.  If this week's cause doesn't strike that chord in you to help out, then maybe one down the road will.  They're good people and they put their money where they say they do.