Children are our future
CARLA OWENS Sentinel Writer

Children are our future and what we do today to ensure the health and stability of our youth will determine what kind of community we will have tomorrow. If we choose to love, nurture and provide for the children living in our community today, then we will be assured of a strong and vibrant community for generations to come.

Members of the Truett Baptist Association (TBA) of churches in the three most Western Counties of North Carolina have chosen to take up the cause of our children. TBA is not doing this just for the children who are members of the Baptist churches in Clay, Cherokee and Graham counties, but for all children, of all denominations and backgrounds.

Last Monday night during the TBA quarterly meeting, members representing churches from the three counties voted to enter into a contract to lease to purchase a home and two acres of land in Clay County. TBA will use the home to provide foster care for the children of Western North Carolina. The seven bedroom home located on West Vineyard Lane in Shooting Creek has served as one of two assisted living facilities for "Bridging the Gap."

According to Pastor Greg Carroll from Truett Memorial Baptist Church, the original vision for helping area foster children came about after he shared a desire to help local children with Clay County Department of Social Services Director Debbie Mauney. According to Carroll, members of Truett Church want to reach out to children in their community but weren't sure how they could best help, or where the greatest need was. So, Carroll approached Mauney who quickly accepted the church's offer of help and lost no time in explaining to Carroll the great need the department had for foster homes.

According to Mauney, over the last fiveyears the number of foster children in Clay County alone has gone from an average of nine to a current number of 33. Of Clay's 33 children, 21 are currently living in foster homes outside the county due to the lack of licensed foster homes locally. Mauney added that when you look at the three counties combined there are currently 117 children in foster care, with a total of 45 placed outside their community.

Following his meeting with Mauney, Carroll lost no time in taking the need to his congregation and then before the Truett Association. Truett Church originally purchased a small home across from the church and began to remodel it for use as a foster home. However, Carroll said he believes that God began to open other doors which would allow them to begin to care for more children. So, Carroll and TBA Director Mitchell Shields began to work together to increase the vision to include all 61 Baptist churches which are members of TBA and asked if the entire membership would come on board with the vision of providing foster care on a much larger scale for the entire region. And last Monday night, the Association voted to do just that, provide a home for up to nine children beginning January, 2008.

Why is it so important to keep these children in their hometown? Mauney offers a long list of reasons why the vision of Truett Baptist Association is so important. First, Mauney makes quite clear that the goal of the local Dept. of Social Services is to keep families together. Mauney said that family social workers do all that they can to work with parents to overcome what ever obstacles are facing them so that they can keep their children in the home. However, when that is not possible Mauney says that the children must be removed, but even at that point the first option is always to try to place a child with a relative. The last option is placing the child in a foster home. But when necessary, Mauney said that they look for a licensed foster home locally, but with only two homes currently licensed there is simply no place for these children to be placed in the area. The only option then is to place them in home in other parts of the state.

Mauney explained that this creates many hardships, not only for the children and their families, but also for the social workers who need to work with the parents and the children during the twelve month time frame they are given to come to a resolution and hopefully reunite the family.

Mauney shared the difficultyit presents for the case worker that must schedule visits between parents and children when long distances must be traveled for those visits. But more important than the logistical issues, Mauney said, is the fact that a child who is placed outside their community is not only separated from their parents but they are also taken away from everyone else familiar in their life. Mauney shared a long list of the important relationships a child loses, from their familiar school surroundings, teachers and coaches, to their friends, church and relatives.

This is how Mauney told Pastor Carroll he and TBA could make a difference, by providing a foster home locally. And because their vision has grown, Shields, Carroll and TBA are asking members of all three communities; Clay, Cherokee and Graham - to join them in the effort of preserving our youth. Starting last week, the TBA began to ask for donation from churches, businesses and individuals in the three counties to help purchase the home and two acres.

The TBA has currently agreed to lease the home and land for two years with an option to purchase, but it is the hope of the Association that the communities will rise to the challenge and embrace the cause of caring for those who will one day lead these communities.

Shields shared that a total of $650,000 is needed to purchase the home and land. And with $100,000 already pledged from three members of the Clay County community, Nantahala Bank and Trust ?? Clara Reffitt,who is assisting with the fund raising effort, believes residents living in WNC will come through with the remainder. "Even if it's just a $1, we will take it. No amount is too big or too small," Reffittstated. She also said any and every gift, of any kind, from stocks and lands to cars and boats will do. "We'll take what ever you have to give," she added.

Reffitt,Shields, Mauney and Carroll all believe that investing in our children is investing in our future, and that's the best investment you can make.

Anyone interested in making a donation can clip out the form to the right and mail it to TBA or drop it off at Nantahala Bank. Checks can be made out to Truett Baptist Association and earmarked for the Truett Children's Home.

Questions concerning donations can be directed to Mitchell Shields (837-5401).

Next week, more about the foster home and how you can make a difference.

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