I Beat the Odds_ From Homelessness, to the Blind Side, and Beyond - Michael Oher [83]
In Missouri there are at least a half dozen places like Whetstone Boys Ranch in West Plains, which is a new organization doing a lot of great work already; Lives Under Construction Boys Ranch in Lampe, which works with boys ages seven to twenty-one; and Coyote Hill Children's Home in Harrisburg, which supports children from a lot of different types of family backgrounds. Drumm Farm in Independence specializes in caring for foster children, as well; Brodie Croyle, quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs, does work with them. He grew up around that kind of environment because his father, John Croyle, established the Big Oak Boys Ranch and Big Oak Girls Ranch in his home state of Alabama.
I know of a number of other really good ranches/group home environments like these in just about every state--some are state-run, some are private, some are religious. It's worth doing a little research to find one that is a good match for your own interests so that you can feel good about your involvement. I should also add that places like these are usually happy to take all kinds of donations, sometimes even including gifts of older-model cars to help teach the young men auto repair. You get a tax write-off and the boys get a chance to learn responsibility and job skills.
In addition to Brodie Croyle, there are other athletes who are involved with helping foster kids, too. Myron Rolle, former Florida State All-American and Rhodes Scholar, runs a camp in the summer called the Myron Rolle Wellness and Leadership Academy. More than one hundred foster kids get the chance to hear motivational speakers, learn about physical fitness and nutrition, and most important, work on the confidence and skills to become good leaders. Athletes for Charity is an entire organization devoted to helping pro sports figures get involved in supporting and encouraging foster kids.
Some people have come up with creative ways to raise support and awareness. In August 2010, the singer Jimmy Wayne, who grew up in foster care himself, walked 1,700 miles from Nashville to Phoenix. His trip halfway across America was part of his Meet Me Halfway project, which aims to bring attention to older children in foster care who are aging out of the system.
Bethany Christian Services is a nationwide organization that helps match foster children with adoptive families and helps adults looking to become foster parents learn valuable skills to reach the children put in their care. The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption has as their slogan "Finding Forever Families for Children in Foster Care." Started by Dave Thomas, the founder of Wendy's, they are one of the county's biggest promoters of foster care awareness and adoption-support organizations. And AdoptUsKids has helped more than 13,500 foster children around the United States find permanent adoptive families.
Of course, don't forget to keep your eyes open for the need right in front of your face. Leigh Anne and Sean call this "popcorn giving," meaning you take care of the needs that pop up right in front of you. You don't need to have a school or a formal program to get involved. The Tuohys and other families at Briarcrest didn't. They didn't go looking for a needy kid to help; they didn't just close their eyes when one crossed their path. They saw a need and they each met it however they could.
Like I said, this is just a short list that barely scrapes the surface of all the great programs out there. I feel bad that I can't mention them all, but I hope this will at least give you some ideas of places where you can find help or offer help.
The problem of abused, neglected, and at-risk children isn't just a challenge in the inner city or in rural communities. It's everywhere.