Many Harvest homeowners are involved with an organization called Safe Families for Children. This organization offers a sanctuary to thousands of children. When crisis strikes, many of us rely on relatives and friends for support but for some parents, there isn’t a safety net. Often problems such as drug addiction, domestic abuse, incarceration, or illness can be debilitating, making it impossible for parents to care for their children. Here are just a few stories from your neighbors on how Safe Families for Children has impacted their lives.
By Michelle Conner, Harvest Homeowner
Our family is a host family with the organization Safe Families for Children and I am the Denton county ministry team leader. We hosted 2 little ones, Michael and Mattea, over the summer and many of you got to meet them. The entire community was so welcoming and wonderful. These 2 sweet kids loved being a part of our village and we loved having them. It has been an eye opening experience for our family with many ups and downs. It is definitely not always easy but we feel that God has grown us and stretched us in ways that we probably needed to be. We have become aware of the many families that are struggling right in our own back yard. We have all learned compassion and patience. We have learned to LOVE in ways we never knew possible. And we have learned a lot about grace and mercy. It is messy but in a good way. We continue to learn how to see the families through God’s eyes not our own. As the team leader for the area, it has been amazing to see our community step up in ways that I never even imagined. When we have a need for diapers, furniture, clothes, baby equipment, babysitting, really anything…..you all have stepped up and filled it almost immediately. It is humbling to live in a community that is so willing to step up and serve others. If you are interested in learning more or want to get involved, contact me at safefamiliesdentoncounty@gmail.com.
By Dana Trant, Harvest Homeowner
Safe Families For Children has impacted our family in so many ways that we never could have imagined. We have felt called to this area of ministry for so many years, and in God's perfect timing, we began hosting our first family Oct. 31. From the moment we discovered we were hosting the children, our families, our co-workers and our neighbors here in Harvest have been beyond supportive. From overwhelming us with items for the children to collecting and meeting our Mom's personal needs....love, grace and support has been revealed time and time again. The day to day routine has changed for us, no doubt. But the JOY that has resulted from our participation EXCEEDS any additional efforts in planning and lost sleep (LOL). Brock having the opportunity to be a BIG brother and share his world with the boys has been so rewarding to see as a parent. And to see the love of a father extended to the boys from Jon makes my heart smile. Our family has been changed by this experience and we are so grateful.
By Brock Trant, age 14
I love being a BIG brother now! Every day it gives me something to do. Sometimes it gets really hard with all the chores and helping out, but we always manage to find a way to solve all the problems. The boys have been great and awesome. I really love feeding the baby. I like playing games with Rashad too. I love reading and praying with Rashad every night. It's great to see his love for Jesus growing every day.
