On a balmy Thursday evening, attendees gathered at Pittman Park United Methodist Church to support the non-profit organization Families 4 Families, which provides support for families caring for foster children.
Shannon Ramsey, Southeast Georgia's area director, was the emcee of the evening as well as one of its keynote speakers. He opened the night by inviting guests to participate in a silent auction, which was streamlined through the guests' mobile devices. Several coveted items such as baseball and football memorabilia, a Hunter Cattle basket, handcrafted jewelry, and other unique items were up for bids. A live painting, painted on site by Augusta artist Rebecca Seidel, was being auctioned off as well.
After a delectable dinner of shrimp and grits, chicken, mashed potatoes, carrots, and collard greens, guests enjoyed red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting.
Wayne Naugle, the CEO and founder of Families 4 Families, spoke after supper, relaying his own personal story about his own foster child who, only hours old at the time, had been left behind a dumpster by their birth mother. Naugle and his wife, parents of five biological children, had been praying about fostering for some time.
The Naugles, who had completed the necessary classes to care for foster children, got a call a year later about a biological sibling of their foster child, who, also a newborn, needed a home. The Naugles brought the child home to join the rest of the family, and Families 4 Families was born.
"These children are being neglected, abused, and in need of a family," Ramsey said in the passionate plea he delivered following Naugle's speech. "They are in need of help."
Families 4 Families provide date nights for caregivers, community support, and so much more.
"We are currently supporting 41 foster families here in this region with our agency," Ramsey continued. "They are caring for those children 24/7. The biggest need that I believe those children need is a family."
Families 4 Families is located at 417 Fair Road in Statesboro. For more information about Families 4 Families, or to donate to their non-profit organization, please visit their website.