Words by Jenny Lynn Davis | Image by Al Blanton
The Jasper Lions Club will host a Foster and Adoptive Family Resource Event on Saturday, April 25, from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Jasper Civic Center. The event is designed to connect foster and adoptive families with local organizations, support services and one another. Foster parents who attend can also earn two training hours.
According to Liz Lavelle, president of the Jasper Lions Club, the event grew out of a need to make existing resources more visible and accessible for families. She says many people in Walker County, including longtime foster parents, still do not know what support is available to them.
“It’s not that the resources aren’t there, it’s that they don’t know about them,” Lavelle says.
The event will bring together a variety of organizations and services that can help families navigate foster care and adoption. Lavelle says school systems, counseling agencies, DHR and early childhood programs are expected to participate, along with other educational and family support resources.
In addition to sharing information, the event is intended to create a sense of connection among families who may otherwise feel isolated.
“I think one of the things people don’t always realize is that being a foster parent can be a very lonely journey,” Lavelle says. “If you don’t have resources and you don’t have support, you can very easily feel like you’re doing it alone.”
Lavelle says organizers hope the event will help families build relationships, learn about available services, and leave feeling encouraged.
“If we can help just one family or one child, then it’s a success,” she says. “If we help one person get connected to one resource, then it’s a success for us.”
She also encourages current foster parents, prospective foster parents, and even those who have only briefly considered foster care or respite care to attend.
“Just do it. Just come out to the Civic Center,” Lavelle says. “You never know who you’ll meet. You never know what connection you’ll make.” WL
The Jasper Civic Center is located at 204 19th Street East, Jasper, AL 35501.
To learn more about the Jasper Lions Club, follow the organization on Facebook.
