Shannon Ramsey, executive director of Families 4 Families Statesboro, is an advocate for children and families. He, along with his team at the church-based non-profit organization, find foster homes for children in need and provide support through the fostering process.
Wayne Naugle, a friend of Ramsey's who started Families 4 Families in the Atlanta area, was a businessman and church leader who added to his own family of five biological children by fostering and, ultimately, adopting two little girls. He was so moved by the process that he initiated the organization that Ramsey has committed his life to.
"Basically, we are a foster child placement agency, so we become another pool of families that DFACS (Division of Family and Children Services) can call to get foster homes," Ramsey explains.
Ramsey, a Statesboro native and Georgia Southern graduate, attended seminary, went overseas and served as a missionary for approximately ten years, and returned to the town he calls home.
"When we came off the field in 2019, we began trying to figure out what our next steps were going to be, and Wayne asked me if I wanted to launch Families for Families in this part of the state," he says.
Families 4 Families of Statesboro is a network of support for foster parents that works in tandem with DFCS and has been helping to place children since October of 2020.
"We work really hard to create community with our foster families," Ramsey says. One way they do this is by hosting support groups once a month for foster moms and dads. This allows parents to connect with others who are experiencing similar challenges and to provide assistance through empathy and personal experience.
They distribute much-needed items to foster families such as diapers and formula, and even sit with hospitalized children to give caregivers a break. They also provide a date night once a month, so foster parents can have a dedicated time to reconnect with one another and recharge. Whatever the need, Ramsey, his staff, and group of volunteers are ready to furnish the foster families with various forms of encouragement.
"We very much try to personalize and make sure that they get what they need," Ramsey says.
While approximately 1/3 of children are reunited with their birth parents, a rewarding part of Ramsey's job is seeing the joy that occurs through adoption.
"Last year for us, here locally, nine kids got forever homes through our families here," Ramsey explains. "We're just excited about where we are and what we've been able to do."
For more information about Families 4 Families, please visit their website.