Foster the City is a ministry of Legacy City Church that seeks to encourage, equip, and support children and families impacted by foster care in the Lakelands while meeting physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. Our desire is to bridge the gap between DSS, private agencies, families, and faith communities.
Although this ministry is birthed from Legacy City Church, we view this as an ecumenical effort with participation from many local faith communities. This is reflected in the fact that many of our volunteers and leaders attend various other churches in the community.
UPCOMING EVENT: SEEDS OF HOPE
monday April 13 | 6:00-7:30pm
You’re invited to join us for an evening all about foster care, specifically in the Lakelands. In the interest of transparency, we want you to know up front that this is primarily a recruitment event. The need for solid foster parents and foster homes in our state and in our region cannot be overstated. Several foster licensing agencies and organizations will be in attendance to share information about becoming a foster home. We’ll also have several past and current foster families share their experiences. And the icing on the cake? Dinner and childcare are provided by Legacy City Church and Foster the City! But we need you to register! Space is limited, so register early by clicking the link below.
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Foster Care Shed - Foster the City has a shed filled with clothing and supplies that gives Foster Care families, Kinship Care families, and DSS (and the families they serve) access to clothing and tangible care items. New and lightly used donations are accepted through the donation window on the shed. Contact Jenn Earle or Legacy City to get the code to enter the shed.
Meeting Emergency Needs - Foster the City and our community seek to meet emergency needs of children and families whenever possible (Gift cards, meals, specialized items). Over Christmas, for example, we were able to fulfill Christmas wishlists for several foster children with the help of some of our amazing ministry partners.
Meals - Foster the City serves foster care and kinship care families with meals at the time of placement, when possible (frozen meals, volunteer meals, Meal train, or gift cards as available).
Education and Training (future initiative) - Foster the City will host education and training opportunities to help families and professionals meet the needs of the children they serve.
Foster Mom Dinner - Foster the City hosts quarterly dinner gatherings to connect Lakelands foster, adoptive, and kinship caregivers. It’s a time of laughter, conversation, and sometimes lamenting - but mostly an encouraging evening.
Dinners & Respite (future initiative) - Foster the City will host regular dinners, cookouts, and events to bring Foster Families, and the foster community at large, together for fellowship. We also plan to offer nights with free child care so Foster Parents can have a night out.
Prayer - Foster the City and Legacy City Church regularly pray for children, families, and frontliners. While we want to meet physical needs as much as possible, our prayer is that families can get their spiritual needs met as well.
Fuel the Frontliners - Foster the City and our community ensures that children, families, and professionals at the DSS Office have access to healthy, quality food by filling and stocking the fridge/freezer, and we encourage the DSS employees by bringing monthly coffee and donuts.
Provide Space - Due to our proximity to the DSS office in Greenwood, our location can be used by social workers and parents as a neutral observed visitation location. We also have stocked showers if children or teenagers need to bathe after coming into care.
Support Groups - Foster the City connects Lakelands foster, adoptive, and kinship caregivers to each other for support, community, and resources. One way we do this is through our Foster the City Facebook Support Group.
Mentorship (future initiative) - Foster the City will train and equip Foster and Kinship Care mentors to come alongside current or potential Foster Care Families. They would walk with them through the process and be a resource throughout their fostering journey.
Upcoming Events
March 3
Fuel the Fronliners
Greenwood DSS Office
April 7
Fuel the Fronliners
Greenwood DSS Office
FAQs
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We primarily serve families involved in fostering, kinship care, and adoption. We also partner with and serve organizations with aligned interests, such as DSS, Thornwell, Connie Maxwell, Guardian ad Litem, etc.
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Yes, of course! Like any ministry or non-profit, there is always a financial need. Go to to legacycity.church/give, follow the instructions, and select “Foster the City” under the giving options.
There are also opportunities to donate new and used items, food, and time depending on the activity. -
Currently, it is operating under the banner of Legacy City Church, which is a full 501(c)3 non-profit in good standing. As the ministry progresses, there is a plan being formulated to spin it off as its own non-profit.
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There will be so many volunteer opportunities throughout the year. From providing meals and childcare, to staffing dinners and events, to organizing the Foster Shed - there will never be a shortage of opportunities to serve. Keep an eye on the Facebook page for opportunities, and you can sign up for the Volunteer Email List below.
