Kiss My Boo-Boo

I do not know how the belief that kissing a boo-boo will make it better came about, but it’s an idea that has been passed down from generation to generation. At Collins Home Family Ministries, kissing a boo-boo and making it better takes on a different look and feel, because the boo-boos are not the typical skinned knees we think about.  

The boo-boos kiddos arrive with at Collins Home Family Ministries are often invisible and sometimes unspoken. The families who seek our care are good people who have found themselves in difficult situations, many times through no fault of their own. As a result, a child may have a deep sense of insecurity related to food, clothing, and housing.  

When these things are unspoken, they can become evident in many ways. For example, snacks often disappear, or loaves of bread will be left open for quick access. A deep fear of being hungry will drive a kid to hide food “just in case” there is a shortage. It can take months of stability for a child to believe the food will always be available.  

As a child I never experienced lack, I never went to bed hungry, and I never lacked a safe place to rest my head. My childhood was exactly what it should have been: ordinary. Honestly, I believe it takes very little to make a childhood ordinary. Children need a safe place to rest, food to eat and someone who will value and validate their existence. Anything else we do is above and beyond.  

One of the things we work to do is reunite children with their families. This means we introduce the children to a new normal and we work with the parents to reinforce normal once they are back together. This means we work hard to develop a relationship of trust that goes beyond a child’s entry or exit date!  

Our mission goes beyond providing shelter to children, in fact that is the easy part. We step into the Holy Ground of strengthening families and stabilizing our community. The Holy Ground of working with families requires an entire community of trusted partners to make a visible impact.  

Today, I want to invite you to stand with us as we partner with families who are facing hardship. Standing with families might be even easier than you think! We are currently looking for community partners who can stand with us financially, provide meals or restaurant gift cards for the families we serve, and become mentors to children or adults. For more information call us at 864.882.0893 or visit www.collinschildrenshome.org/donate

-Kelly Ross