CharitiesNewsNon Profit Org.

U.S. Postage

PaidNashville, TN

Permit No. 3460

Catholic Charities of Tennessee, Inc.30 White Bridge RoadNashville, TN 37205

Fall 2014 Service to People in Need www.cctenn.org

[Editor’s Note: The names in this story havebeen changed to protect the confidentiality ofthe clients. Their story, however, is true.]

The perfect image…the perfect family…amother, a father, and children, living together,growing together.

Perhaps the perfect image, but this is not thereality that clients of Denise Todd-Cottrell, FOCUSadoption recruitment specialist, generally experi-ence.

Her clients – children in full guardianship inthe statewide foster care system in need of a foreverfamily – experience anything but this perfect image.Take Luke, Mark, and Matthew Williams, for exam-ple.

Luke, the oldest, is 10. Mark is 8 and Matthewis 6. For most of their lives, the boys have beenunder the care of the State of Tennessee’s Depart-ment of Children’s Services. At times they were to-gether; at times they were apart.

In March 2013, their parents’ parental rightswere terminated by the Juvenile Court after years oflegal proceedings.

“Our goal at FOCUS [Finding our Children

Unconditional Support] is simply to do what’s bestfor the children,” explained Todd-Cottrell.

“In this case,” she continued, “it would havebeen much, much easier for us to separate the sib-lings and place them,” two in one home and one inanother. FOCUS took the harder route to try to sup-port the sibling connection between the three.

“Their connection to each other was, in manyways, all they had,” said Sonora Goodsell, theFOCUS Regional Case coordinator for Middle Ten-nessee and a staff member of Harmony Family Cen-ter. Their father was never really in their lives andtheir mother was, herself, in the state’s custody fora good part of their lives.

Harmony and Catholic Charities are partnersin the statewide initiative to find forever homes formore than 250 children who are available for adop-tion in Tennessee living in foster care or a grouphome, waiting for an adoptive family.

The majority of these children are between theages of 10-18. If not adopted by age 18, they will“age out” of foster care, having never known thestability of a family.

“To separate these 3 boys permanently would

have added more traumas to the physical and emo-tional trauma they had already experienced in theirshort lives,” Goodsell added. This would have beenespecially true for Luke who craved maternal loveand attention which simply could not be providedto him.

“Ninety-nine percent of children, regardless of

FOCUS: Keeping the Family Together Employee SpotlightFocus on the Present: Mauni Mitchel

“I am a present-time kind of person,”Mauni Mitchel explained.

That description applies to her person-ally, as well as tothe professionalapproach she takeswhen counselingher clients.

Mauni hasbeen a CatholicCharities schoolcounselor for 22years. Currently as-signed to St. Pius XSchool, she served St. Ann School for 20years.

She is also a counselor with the Individ-ual, Family and Marriage program and hasbeen involved with CHAP (Creating Hope byAssisting Parents).

Whether assisting children or adults, herapproach is the same…and it is based on her“present-time” belief.

“I try to get them to focus on being in thepresent,” she said.

“I want to help them develop skills orstrategies to increase their functioning…tohelp them be happy, functioning individualsin society.”

This approach, she continued, includesmeeting people where they are, helping themto believe in their own goodness, and learninghow to make better decisions in life.

She is grateful that Catholic Charitiesprovides her with the opportunity to includespirituality in her discussions with clients, ifappropriate.

If someone wants to explore who theyare in relation to God, she can do that in re-lation to their own faith. “I don’t get into the-ology,” she stressed, but she can include faithin the conversation.

“It is good that I can offer God as a re-source.” y

(FOCUS, continued on page 4)

Mary Ann and Bill Blaufuss, Mike Miller to be Honored atCelebration of Mission to Service

Longtime community volunteers Mary Ann andBill Blaufuss and Saint Mary Villa Child Devel-opment Center (CDC) director Mike Miller

have been making Middle Tennessee better foryears.

To honor their contributions, they will be pre-sented with the Spirit of Service Award during the2014 Celebration of Mission to Service onWednesday, October 22. The event, benefitingCatholic Charities of Tennessee and Saint Mary VillaChild Development Center, will be at Hillwood Coun-try Club from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.

“The Spirit of Service Award is presented toindividuals who have been significant contributorsto the well-being of clients served by Catholic Char-ities and the CDC and who reflect our values of love,

goodwill, and kindness,blended with learningand laughter,” ex-plained Bill Sinclair, ex-ecutive director ofCatholic Charities.

Mary Ann and BillBlaufuss have calledNashville home since1979, raising three chil-

dren here. Both have been active in church, school,and community organizations. They have fourgrandchildren.

Mary Ann Blaufuss was the founding chair in1997 and 1998 of the Celebration of Charity andService, a forerunner to Celebration of Mission

to Service. Shealso served on theCatholic Charitiesboard and theCathedral of theI n c a r n a t i o nparish pastoralcouncil, and waspresident of theTennessee League

of Women Voters.Bill Blaufuss, retired KPMG partner, has served

on the Diocese of Nashville finance committee, wasboard vice chair of Saint Thomas Health Services,board treasurer of Pope John Paul II High School,

Mauni Mitchel

Acts of Love, Goodwill and Kindness

(Celebration, continued on page 2)

Young Professionals Set 1st Meeting

Oct. 18See page 2 See page 3

Mary Ann and Bill BlaufussMike Miller

These are a few of the more than 250 foster childrenavailable for adoption in the state of Tennessee.For more information, contact Denise Todd-Cottrellat dcottrell@cctenn.org or 615-352-3087 x-236.

Christmas WishesNeeds Nearing

Page 2 Service to People in Need www.cctenn.org

Wish ListCHILD WELFARErduprey@cctenn.org615-352-9520Art supplies for play and art therapy including:Bubbles in small individual sizes, Play-Doh® insmall individual sizes, Individual paint sets,Basic Legos®, Journals, and Small miniaturetoys

HISPANIC FAMILY SERVICESariggs@cctenn.org615-445-8310School supplies, Diapers and wipes

LOAVES AND FISHESloavesandfishes@cctenn.org615-256-7256White socks, Winter gloves (for men, women,and children)

NORTH NASHVILLE OUTREACHkgrae@cctenn.org615-242-1554$15 Kroger gift cards, Individual waters, 2-pocket folders, Calculators, Household items:toilet paper, detergent, dishwashing liquid,soap, toothpaste.

PREGNANCY COUNSELING & ADOPTION SERVICESrhedegard@cctenn.org615-760-1025Diapers (size 4 and up), Baby wipes, Babyblankets, Clothing for children (up to size 2)

REFUGEE SERVICESrnorris@cctenn.org615-760-2766Couches, Kitchen table (with or w/o chairs),Coffee tables/end tables, Chest of drawers,Dressers (w/o mirrors), Lamps, Basic cleaningsupplies, Basic toiletries, Blankets (twin, full,queen, king), Sheets (twin, full, queen, king),Dinner plates, Salad plates, Bowls, Mixingbowls, Can openers, Alarm clocks

REFUGEE YOUTHcstinson@cctenn.org615-760-2761Youth mentor volunteers

SOUTH NASHVILLE FAMILY RESOURCE CENTERlhayes@cctenn.org615-834-1944Educational Wii games

Family Empowerment Program:New initiative fills major area service gap

Family homelessness is a growing problem in Middle Tennessee. Makingmatters worse, there are very few agencies specifically addressing fam-ily homelessness here.

“We are going to fill this gap,” said Matt Preston, program coordinatorfor Catholic Charities of Tennessee’s new Family Empowerment initiative.

The agency was recently awarded a multi-year grant from the UnitedWay of Metropolitan Nashville (UWMN), as Preston explained, “to fill aunique service gap in Nashville.”

The number of children experiencing homelessness in the MetropolitanNashville Public Schools (MNPS) is “staggering,” he said. “The worst part,though, is that those numbers do not include those at risk for homelessness.”No one really knows for sure how many are at risk for homelessness.

During the 2012-2013 school year, MNPS reported 2,821 enrolled stu-dents as being considered “homeless” (as defined by the McKinney-VentoHomeless Assistance Act – see box).

“Our overall objectiveis to implement case man-agement, coordination, andfinancial assistance withfamilies experiencing home-lessness and those at risk ofbeing homeless,” Prestonadded. As many as 105 fam-ilies – approximately 400individuals – will be in-volved with the initiativeeach year.

Case managers are po-sitioned at three existingUnited Way Family Resource

Centers, including the South Nashville Family Resource Center (FRC) whichis managed by Catholic Charities. Their job is to identify, assess, and connectfamilies to basic needs such as food, clothing, housing, and medical/mental

health services.“We want to assist families in obtaining financial stability, maintaining

stable housing, and making healthy choices,” explained Preston.“The Nashville Family Empowerment Program and the collaborative

work that UWMN will be doing with Catholic Charities, Safe Haven, MNPS,MDHA, the Nashville Financial Empowerment Center, and others is importantbecause it creates a pathway toward independence for families,” explainedRebecca Carter, United Way associate director Community Impact.

“It addresses needs through a multi-generational case managementmodel focused on the financial, educational and health needs of studentsand their families.”

Preston continued, “After an initial assessment addressing basic needs,we develop and implement a plan focused on services that foster and sustainself-sufficiency for the family.”

Through this approach, participants develop skills and gain knowledgein areas such as healthy socialization and life-skills in order to supportgrowth in the caregiving system, and strengthen the well-being of childrenas families transition out of poverty.

Case management is collaborative. Partner communication on each pro-gram’s cases occurs weekly, in order to prioritize available resources andcollaborate on programmatic activities.

“Catholic Charities was selected as a partner through the Volunteer Re-view Process,” noted Carter. “The strength of their application, history withcase management during times of crisis, existing relationships in at-risk com-munities, and ability to reach across multiple parts of the city were allstrengths of the Family Empowerment Program proposed by Catholic Chari-ties.”

“Additionally, Catholic Charities had a good understanding of the SiemerCase Management model and the expectations.” y

Who is homeless?The term “homeless children and youth” (A) means individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttimeresidence…and (B) includes

(i) children and youths who are sharing the housing of other personsdue to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason; areliving in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to alack of alternative accommodations; are living in emergency or tran-sitional shelters; are abandoned in hospitals; or are awaiting fostercare placement; (ii) children and youths who have a primary nighttime residence thatis a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as aregular sleeping accommodation for human beings; (iii) children and youths who are living in cars, parks, public spaces,abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, orsimilar settings; and (iv) migratory children who qualify as homelessfor the purposes of this subtitle because the children are living in cir-cumstances described in clauses (i) through (iii).

McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (Section 725)(as provided by the National Center for Homeless Education)

The Siemer Family Stability Pro-gram provides support to families onthe brink of homelessness. Using the 2-Generation approach, case manage-ment and direct financial assistanceare provided to parents. Concurrently,case management services are pro-vided to children with the intent ofimproving school attendance and per-formance. This comprehensive ap-proach is being implemented in over47 communities nationwide.

Photo courtesy Metro Nashville Public Schools

Celebration of Mission (continued from page 1)and president of the Serra Club.

Mike Miller has more than 30 years of experience in social services, after earning his MSSWdegree from the University of Tennessee College of Social Work.

For 10 years, Miller has served as the CDC’s executive director. Prior to that, he was Commissionerof the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services, a cabinet level post, and was director of the MetroNashville Social Services Department.

Miller was on the Father Ryan High School board for 12 years. In addition, he has lectored atCathedral of the Incarnation for 15 years and has helped promote Room in the Inn and Catholic Char-ities’ Christmas Wishes program.

Miller and his wife Judy have four children and seven grandchildren (with two more expected inNovember).

Celebration of Mission to Service tickets are $500/person, $1000/couple. They may be pur-chased on the Catholic Charities website (http://bit.ly/1vfxX0C) or by contacting Laura Jumonville at615-760-1014 or ljumonville@cctenn.org. y

P L E A S E J O I N U S F O R C A T H O L I C C H A R I T I E S

KICK-OFF EVENT FOR THE

Young Professionals Society

SATURDAY, OCT. 18TH | 7:00- 9:00 PM

THE DOMINICAN CAMPUS | WHITE HOUSE | 4210 HARDING PIKE

COCKTAIL ATTIRE | TICKET PRICE: ONE BOTTLE OF WINE

R S V P : W W W. F A L LW I N E S O C I A L . E V E N T B R I T E . C O M

www.cctenn.org Service to People in Need Page 3

Thank You!GERIATRICSBelle Meade Kroger, Belle Meade Starbucks, Charlotte PikeKroger, Nashville Tomato, Nothing Bundt Cakes

HISPANIC FAMILY SERVICESVolunteers helping with the perishable food distributions

LOAVES AND FISHESCatholic Heart Work Camps, Jes and Center for Student Missions,God’s Work/Our Hands, Karen, Kenny, Patrice & Everett, BlevinsInc., the many volunteers who share their time with our L&Fguests

NORTH NASHVILLE OUTREACHCathedral of the Incarnation, Christ the King Church Women’sCouncil, Kathy Carroll, McGruder Family Resource Center, St.Henry Church

PREGNANCY COUNSELING & ADOPTION SERVICESHoly Rosary Church, St. Gregory’s Church Ladies Guild, St. HenryChurch Social Action Committee, St. Rose of Lima Church RespectLife Ministry, and all supporters of the 2014 Lifesaver campaign

REFUGEE SERVICESBelmont University School of Nursing, Mock Interview Volunteers,Wyndam Nashville Hotel

SOUTH NASHVILLE FAMILY RESOURCE CENTERChurch of St. Matthew, Coleman Park, Performance Studios

TENNESSEE OFFICE FOR REFUGEESAquinas College

And all of you who support us with your time, talents, treasure and prayers!

1,000 Christmas Wishes NeedYour Help to Come True

In His Own Words: Ned Spitzer

From the late 1990s through 2006, Isupported Catholic Charities of Ten-nessee the way, I suspect, many do, via

my annual United Way designation. There wasno real connection with the agency or itswork, though.

In January 2007, a deeper connectionbegan: 18 months as a Young Leaders CouncilBoard intern and then, starting in July 2008,six years on the Board of Trustees.

My education was fast and furious. Itquickly was clear that Catholic Charities wasdifferent. I knew of no agency that servedpeople in need over such a broad geopoliti-cal and economic spectrum.

Most organizations serve a narrow pop-ulation. Not Catholic Charities.

It serves such a wide range of clients,from the unborn to the elderly. It helps thosein need regardless of religious affiliation,race or country of birth.

And its arrayof programs is sowide, too…immi-gration services,financial literacyclasses, pre-Kreadiness, afterschool tutoringand mentoring,health programs,pregnancy coun-seling, adoptions, job readiness, meals for thehungry, and on and on. They are good at whatthey do, or they don’t do it, though.

As I completed my Board term in June, Iknew that I did not want to just walk away. Ofall of the organizations I have been involvedwith, this one means the most to me; it is soimpactful in the community. I want to stay apart of it in some way. y

Financial Literacy: Training for a LifetimeEnhanced financial literacy has become an

evermore critical component of Catholic Chari-ties of Tennessee’s efforts to help its clients break

the cycle of poverty.Participation in a 4-session financial literacy class

is a requirement for receiving any financial assistancefrom the agency’s North Nashville Outreach program.

“Class participation is treated as the basis for apledge we will make to provide bill payment assistance,”explained case manager Kylie Grae.

“We start with a short pretest of 6 basic questions,so that front-end knowledge of financial matters can bedetermined,” Financial Literacy trainer Davina Kraegersaid. “We end the class with the students taking a similartest. This allows them to see how far they have come byparticipating in the class.”

Kraeger uses a 4-step curriculum developed by theFederal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

“We start with an evaluation of each student’s cur-rent situation for income and expenses…what’s comingin and what’s going out. Since the people have come toNorth Nashville Outreach for help, there’s usually moregoing out than coming in.”

The second step involves developing a basic finan-cial recovery plan which will be followed by its imple-mentation. The final step involves evaluating and, asappropriate, adjusting the plan to maximize its potentialfor success.

Each class can accommodate up to 10 studentsand each session lasts for an hour. The course is com-pleted over a 10-day period. A Regions Bank represen-tative is typically invited to address each group to clearup misunderstandings that many of the students haveabout bank services. Between October 2013 and July2014, 117 students participated in the class.

Kraeger teaches in a very engaging, conversationalmanner, quickly putting class participants at ease. Thishelps to encourage group participation.

The examples she uses are “real world” in nature:groceries, eating out, utilities, rent, credit card pur-chases, and how to save money.

“I like seeing the process work, seeing it in theireyes at that moment when the light bulb in their headgoes on and they get it,” she said.

“They come in with down faces because they haveto be there. Then, when they understand that they reallycan do something about their situation, the frowns turnto smiles.”

One recent client, a student concurrently pursuingMD and Ph. D. degrees locally, was about to have herlights turned off. She turned to North Nashville Outreach

as a “next option.” Being required to attend a financialliteracy class was not something she expected to face.

Her experience, however, was very positive. “It wasworth the time invested,” she said. “Having the classover four sessions helped to reinforce the information.”

At the South Nashville Family Resource Center,Refugee Services staff member Hem Kharel, Job Skills

coach at OutSOURCE ReSOURCE (the Job TrainingCenter), teaches recently arrived refugees financial lit-eracy.

The program focus is ultimately the same; how-ever, for a number of reasons, Kharel’s approach is dif-ferent. He starts with the basics during his 2 hourclasses. Like Kraeger, his classes can accommodate upto 10 students per session.

Several agency programs offer clients financial literacy training.

National statistics are startling:• 50% of Americans have less than one month’s in-come saved for a rainy day…versus the recom-mended minimum of six months’ worth.• You spend 12-18% more when you swipe your cardthan when you use cash.• 57% of households don’t have a budget.• You can save $112,000 over a lifetime by bringingyour lunch to work.SOURCE: www.economywatch.com

More than 1,000 Christmas wishesof children, seniors and familieswill go on display starting Novem-

ber 7 on the Catholic Charities ChristmasWishes tree.

The wishes – for food, clothing, andother basic needs, along with toys – are re-ceived through referrals from CatholicCharities staff and other area agencies.Families in severe need also receive food baskets, household staples and personal caresupplies.

“If not for the generosity of churches, community organizations, businesses, and indi-viduals, Catholic Charities simply could notbring Christmas to so many people in need inthis community,” said Megan Stack, the FamilyAssistance and Community Employment(FACE) director. Last Christmas, more than1,200 people had their Christmas wishescome true.

You are invited to share Christmas joyand blessings by participating in this year’s

Christmas Wishes program. Call 615-760-1031 or e-mail ChristmasWishes@cctenn.org forinformation on how to adopt a Christmas Wishes recipient.

Wishes will be available starting November 7. All gifts must be returned by December 15 tothe Catholic Charities office at Saint Mary Villa, 30 White Bridge Road, Nashville (37205). y

Ned Spitzer

Girl Scout Troop 1812 (Saint Matthew School) spent the last weekdayof their summer vacation in August doing for others. The troop usednearly $960 in accumulated troop funds – think cookie sales! – topurchase food and personal care items for homebound elderly. Theyassembled 60 cartons and made greeting cards and notes which wereincluded in each box. Wendy Overlock, Loaves and Fishes programcoordinator, provided direction on how to pack the boxes to maxi-mize the contents included in each one.

(Financial Literacy, continued on page 4)

Page 4 Service to People in Need www.cctenn.org

Our MissionFollowing the example of Christ, Catholic Charities

of the Diocese of Nashville advocates for andprovides services which enhance and enrich the

quality of life for people in need.

Catholic Charities of Tennessee, Inc. provides its services inaccordance with the Rights under Title VI of the Civil Rights

Act of 1964 that prohibits discrimination on the basis ofrace, color or national origin.

Catholic Charities of Tennessee, Inc. is a licensed childplacement agency of the State of Tennessee.

For Information:615-352-3087 or www.cctenn.orgContributions can be made online at

www.cctenn.org

With support of the United States Department of State/Bureauof Population, Refugees and Migration

30 White Bridge Road • Nashville, TN 37205

Refugees Giving Back: Their actions make us betterMost news stories on refugees tend to focus on the ways

that they receive help to ease their transitions to newlives.

Very few address the positive contributions made once therefugees settle in.

In late June 2011, Bakry Mohamed,then 22, arrived in Nashville alone afterspending two years in Egypt as a refugeefrom his homeland, the Darfur region ofthe Republic of the Sudan. (His parentsand five brothers still live there.)

In a relatively short period of time,he earned both a general equivalencydiploma (GED) and computer servicetechnician certification through a Mem-phis Job Corps office.

Upon returning home to Nashville, he hosted a party designed tonot only recognize his achievements, but to also offer encouragementto fellow refugees.

It was important for him to tell his guests to keep moving forward.“If you can travel as far as you did [to get to Nashville], you can dothis,” he said of the steps he took to position himself for employment.

Increasingly responsible lodging industry jobs and computer sci-ence project work have allowed Bakry to “move on.” In doing so,though, he continues to remain a part of Refugee Services, not as a re-cipient, but as a giver.

“As the Volunteer and Resource Coordinator for Refugee Serv-ices,” said Aaron Toran, “I have never experienced someone so stead-fast in his or her pursuit to volunteer.”

Toran added that he frequently received weekly calls from Mo-hamed “reminding me of his availability and personal need to volun-teer.”

In recent months, he has helped as a mock interviewer forrefugees preparing for job interviews, by guiding work teams at Out-SOURCE/ReSOURCE (the agency’s light manufacturing and assembly

operation providing job training opportunities), and by assisting withperishable food distributions.

He has also volunteered with Habitat for Humanity and is knownas a “go to” person when recently arrived refugees might need a rideto a doctor’s appointment or the store.

With U.S. citizenship a goal in a few years, Mohamed explained,“You just help people out as a human being; it doesn’t matter wherepeople are from.”

Much like Bakry, Catholic Charities Refugee Services Employmentcoordinator Abdishakur Mohammed (no relation) uses his experienceand knowledge to help his clients and the community. For seven years,he has helped refugee clients prepare for and secure employment.

A native of Somalia, he began a two-year term on the MetropolitanNashville/Davidson County Human Relations Commission in May, afterbeing appointed by Mayor Karl Dean and approved by the Metro Coun-cil.

Mohamed explained to The Tennessean in a June 2014 frontpage story that he is mindful of the assistance he received as a newlyarrived refugee.

“After living here for ten years, I am aware of how very diverseand welcoming Nashville is. I wanted to help the people of this city asthey helped me when I first arrived,” he said. “I want to pay it forward.”

As the first African refugee on the Metro Human Relations Com-mission, Mohamed brings the Commission a unique perspective and,through his agency work, a unique expertise.

“His selection to the Commission is a point of pride for friendsand family,” The Tennessean reported.

This desire to pay it forward is not limited to adults in the refugeecommunity.

A few short years ago, Muna Muday, a Somali Bantu, participatedin the Refugee Youth program’s afterschool and summer programs,where she received homework help and English language instruction,along with experiencing some of Nashville’s treasures such as the FristCenter for the Visual Arts.

Over time, she began to volunteer with an elementary youth pro-

gram. Two years ago, the summer before her senior year in high school,Muna was a Bank of America Student Leader and represented Nashvilleat the bank’s July 2012 Student Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C.

Now a student at Tennessee State University, Muna continues togive to her community, including to Catholic Charities’ clients.

She recently brought a group of fellow students to a Refugee Youthmentor program information session, hoping to provide some of today’srefugee youth with leadership figures.

Catholic Social Teaching calls us to help those in need; newly ar-riving refugees are truly in need. Over time, though, like native borns,they become driven to use their talents to make our community a betterplace to live. y

Abdishakur Mohamed (ctr) with Nancy Salyer and Kellye Branson atthe recent 2014 National Migration Conference in Washington, DC

“In the first and second week, I teach our clients to count, add and sub-tract on a calculator, write U.S. currency and understand the value of money,track income and expenditures, and begin personal finance planning,” saidKharel.

During the third and fourth weeks, the focus is banking and the classesare taught by a SunTrust Bank official. “He teaches our clients about the im-portance of banking, writing checks, depositing checks, making deposits atan ATM, keeping a check register, and credit,” he added.

As with the North Nashville classes, knowledge growth during the classis tracked by comparing pre-class and post-class test responses.

“We are seeing positive results,” Kharel continued. “Most of the peopleare able to plan their finances, they have bank accounts, and they are doingbanking transactions by themselves.” y

Hem Kharel, Job Skills Coach, makes a key point to a recent FinancialLiteracy class at the South Nashville Family Resource Center.

Financial Literacy (continued from page 3)

what they go through, want to go home,” said Todd-Cottrell. For Luke, Mark,and Matthew, this was not the best solution.

If Luke could not be with an adult in his family, then he wanted to bewith his brothers. Todd-Cottrell and Goodsell knew what they had to do toprovide permanency to the boys’ lives. They just weren’t sure how it was goingto happen.

In February, Providence began to take over at the “Wait No More” informa-tion conference in Brentwood. The event drew nearly 1000 attendees, among themfamily friends of Martha and Peter Simmons, a couple who had provided fostercare for the boys several years earlier.

The friends recognized the boys in a photo display and called the Simmons,knowing that they had had a good experience with the boys as foster parents. TheSimmons contacted FOCUS and began a conversation about the boys.

After an extensive application/evaluation process, the Simmons were selectedto provide a forever home for them.

“The first meeting was a magical moment,” recalled Goodsell. The boys im-mediately recognized the Simmons. Mark and Matthew jumped into their arms.

Although standing back slightly, since he was not as familiar with the Sim-mons as his brothers were, Luke clearly was happy. His brothers were happy.

That’s all he needed.The Simmons and the boys spent part of their first meeting looking at pic-

tures of the boys taken several years earlier. This, explained Todd-Cottrell, is rarein these situations. Most of the children in foster care have very few keepsakessuch as early photographs.

After the placement, Goodsell and Todd-Cottrell were involved in weeklymeetings – sometimes more than once a week – to make sure that the placementstabilized, providing on-going support, such as that provided by Catholic Charities’Adoption Support and Preservation (ASAP) program, and advice to the family.

Despite these efforts, unfortunately, Luke was separated after three monthsof placement. It just was not working.

Now, in additionto continuing to sup-port the Simmons withMark and Matthew, theFOCUS team is backsearching for a familythat will commit to lov-ing Luke uncondition-ally by providing him aforever home. y

FOCUS (continued from page 1)

Since FOCUS was founded in

2007, more than 800 children

have been served with more

than half of the children find-

ing permanency through

adoption, reunification with

members of their birth family,

or a resource family.

Bakry Mohamed