In just a few weeks we will be opening the doors for 2014! It is going to be a very exciting year. Our goals are:
- To double the number of families served
- To identify, train, and release 10 couples as hosts
- To create a long range business plan that will enable us to reach more families
- To hire an Executive Director that can carry out our dreams
You may be asking, “Why such aggressive goals? Wouldn’t it be easier to just keep doing what you are doing and keep it simple? The answer is yes it would be easier, but what about the Elroy and Lizette’s of the world?
This past summer David’s Refuge had the privilege of caring for Elroy and Lizette who gave us permission to share their story. Elroy and Lizette’s dream was to have a family. After two years of trying they finally got pregnant through In Vitro Fertilization. On February 14th, 2006 Fajo was born. To say they were excited is putting it mildly. After a careful search they found a certified day care provider to watch their child. Three months later Lizette received a phone call from the day care center saying that Fajo had stopped breathing. It was later discovered that Fajo was shaken by a care provider and is now a survivor of Shaken Baby Syndrome. Fajo is totally disabled due to massive and traumatic brain injuries. In one horrifying and life-changing event Elroy and Lizette became full time caregivers of a child with special needs. The weekend they spent at David’s Refuge gave them time to retool, rethink, and put life into perspective, enabling them to better care for Fajo.
More than ever we are convinced of the need to grow and expand out mission:
To provide a place of respite free of charge for parents and guardians of children with special needs or life threatening medical conditions where they will be refreshed, restored, and renewed in their role as caregivers.
I would love to have you join David’s Refuge in accomplishing these goals. As 2013 comes to an end, would you please consider financially supporting David’s Refuge? There are countless families like Elroy and Lizette who need to be reminded they are not alone, that what they do matters, and that God loves them. If you are interested you can go online at: http://www.davidsrefuge.org/donate.
If you have any questions or would like to talk please send me a message with your phone number and I will give you a phone call.
Thank you for taking the time to consider supporting our mission of Caring for the Caregiver.