Rutherford Weekly

OUR 24 th YEAR • ISSUE NO. 20 • May 19, 2016 RutherfordWeekly.com 828-248-1408 FREE FREE THE COUNTY'S LARGEST CIRCULATION THE COUNTY'S LARGEST CIRCULATION © Stand Against Domestic Violence Wear a purple or white shirt for support! Don't Be Silent! WALK-A-THON Bringing Awareness To Our Community MAY 21• 8:30AM 147 East Spruce St., Forest City 828-245-1390, ext 104 No registration fee for walk-a-thon Come join us! 1026 EAST MARION ST., SHELBY, NC 1026 EAST MARION ST., SHELBY, NC Like Us On Like Us On Facebook! Facebook! HOURS: 8AM-6PM • MON-.SAT. 8AM-6PM • MON-.SAT. HOURS: HOURS: Ora & BROAD RIVER HAMS & BROAD RIVER HAMS & BROAD RIVER HAMS & BROAD RIVER HAMS & BROAD RIVER HAMS SUPERMARKET VOTED BEST MEAT MARKET 4 YEARS IN A ROW! VOTED BEST MEAT MARKET 4 YEARS IN A ROW! 70 704-4 4-487-4 -4377 • 377 • WWW.ORASUPERMARKET.COM WWW.ORASUPERMARKET.COM Bacon Wrapped Filets We Accept EBT, SNAP, Food Stamps, Debit ONE DAY ONLY! ONE DAY ONLY! FRIDAY, MAY 27th, 2016 ONLY ONLY $ 5 99 99 each each Limit 10 Limit 10 LOCAL LOCAL LOCAL BUY Family develops resource for others who foster others who foster Emily Wood knows that when people hear about foster care, it's often from a negative viewpoint. And because of that, she knows that people have fears about becoming a foster parent, asking a lot of questions that begin with "what if." These are questions Wood and her husband, Brandon, asked prior to becoming foster parents themselves. "I was that person who did not want to be involved with foster parenting," she said. "I had a really negative view, but I also didn't know that much about it." When the couple began trying to start a family, they faced infertility and several pregnancy losses. A teacher at the time, Wood's assistant mentioned foster care as an option. "She called and said her Sunday School teacher knew someone who had a baby to place for adoption. Well, we learned soon that this wasn't a baby, but a four-year-old in foster care." Wood's hesitancy came into play, and through the conversation about the child she offered to pray for him, and asked his name. "His name was the only baby name we had picked out during all of our losses," she said. "I knew we were being called for this child." The Woods, along with other foster families in the county and the Rutherford County Department of Social Services, have put together an event to provide more information about foster care in Rutherford County. Fostering Together will be held Saturday, May 21, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Second Baptist Church in Rutherfordton. "My husband was in the car one day and mentioned to me that there are over 200 Christian churches in the county," Wood explained. "He said that if one family from every 10 churches could help take on these kids, how much better off would our community be." According to the Rutherford County Department of Social Services, as of the end of April there were approximately 120 children in foster care. Children come into care in most cases due to abuse or neglect or because the parents are incarcerated or deceased, said Angela Black, foster home licensing social worker with Rutherford County DSS. The ultimate goal for children who come into care is for them to be reunified with their parents, and at least 75 percent of those do return home or to the home of a relative. Currently there are 22 homes licensed for foster care, Black said, but only 15 of those are located inside county lines. There is always a need for more licensed homes, she said. "Studies show our best recruitment for foster families is word of mouth," Black said, when discussing Fostering Together. To become a foster parent you have to be at least 21 years old, and there is no maximum age. Marital status and sexual orientation do not factor into who can be licensed, nor do you have to own your own home. Even if you do not feel lead to become a foster parent, Wood said, there are other ways you can become involved. "It can be something as simple as bringing a meal or babysitting," she said. "When we began fostering, our church was so supportive. People brought us clothes and toys - that was a blessing to us. When someone gets a new baby you do these things. But you don't always think to do them when someone gets a foster child." Black's hope for Fostering Together is to increase the pool of families who can provide homes for children in foster care, and to provide information for those in attendance to decide if it's a journey they'd like to take. "It's easy to have those fears," Wood said. "But when you put it into comparison of what that foster child is going through … it pales. There is a really precious child in there, but someone has to take the time to find that. "If I'd never done this I would've missed out on a big blessing." For more information visit facebook.com/fosteringrutherford or contact Emily Wood at emilywood74@gmail.com. Articles By: Allison Flynn, Rutherford Weekly Articles By: Allison Flynn, Rutherford Weekly As a foster parent, children coming into your home don't always come with what they need. Often, foster families are left to pull together clothes, toys, carseats and more. James and Rhonda S c h n e i d e r , who have provided foster care for more than 20 years, have found themselves in this situation and have created a foster care closet for other foster families. "Our first case we got three children, and they had one T-shirt for the three of them," Rhonda said. "So, we took them to Walmart at 10 at night and guessed their sizes." While Rutherford County Department of Social Services has received donations of items for children in foster care in the past, the department didn't have a place to store them, James said. The family has taken their garage and turned it into a storage building for items for children ranging from birth through teens. "It's not unusual for a foster child to come to your home at 9 at night with nothing," James said. The Schneiders began the closet as a resource for those families who needed items for foster children. While a stipend is provided for the child's care, it doesn't always cover all of the child's needs. "We had a mom who recently got a child at night, and needed a car seat, clothes … everything she needed we were able to provide," Rhonda said. While not expected, many times foster families will give back the items once they are no longer needed. The Schneiders store them for the next family to use. Clothes and baby equipment are often needed, but children are also provided a backpack or suitcase and a blessing bear. Those items can help a displaced child to have something that belongs to them, Rhonda explained. "Many times if they do have items with them, they are carrying them in a plastic bag. No one should have to carry their things that way," she said. One of the Schneiders' kids - they don't refer to any child in their home as a foster child, "They are just our kids" - gave another child in need a doll. "It was her way of giving back because she knew what she needed," Rhonda said. The Schneiders have quickly outgrown their garage and are looking into renting storage units. When they began the closet they never imagined it would get as much notoriety as it has. Word of mouth and Facebook have been great tools for gathering needed items, and donations are welcomed. "But, if you wouldn't put your child in it, don't send it," Rhonda asked. "My next goal is to have a couple of the main formulas on hand for families." They will have information about the closet at Fostering Together on May 21, an event both hope touches hearts. "The biggest thing I hear is that I can't get attached," Rhonda said. "In our experience, we've been blessed to still get to see some of the children we've fostered." For more information, visit Rutherford County Foster Care Closet on Facebook. Fostering Together set for May 21 a foster child " c ho wit foste togethe and more S h i d h h id d

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