A Home for the Holidays

“I wanted desperately to be with a family for Thanksgiving.”

Carly was only ten years old. She had been placed in foster care two months after her father passed and her mother was unable to care for her due to drug and alcohol abuse.

She struggled as she worked through the pain of losing her father and the trauma of living with her mother. After living in several foster homes between the ages of eight and ten, Carly found herself in a group home with very little hope for a family.

During those tumultuous years, Carly made a connection with a FaithBridge Family Consultant, who was determined to help her find her forever home.

The Baker family already had four children, including two adopted from group homes. When FaithBridge contacted them about Carly, they decided to invite her for Thanksgiving.

Carly’s first Thanksgiving with the Bakers (front row, second from the right)

“It was such a great weekend. We were at a cabin and they were all so nice to me,” Carly recalls.

Things for Carly moved quickly after that. The Bakers felt a connection and she was invited back for Christmas. By January Carly was able to move out of the group home and into the Baker’s home as their foster child. Ten months later she was adopted into her forever family.

Today, eight years later, Carly is in college, and pursuing a degree in social work so she can help others who have been through similar circumstances. “If it wasn’t for FaithBridge and the Bakers – I would not be where I am today. I would not be in college, and I would not have an amazing family. They pursued a better life for me and encouraged me to hope.”

Christmas 2019

She credits her family with helping her find hope, saying that they know and love her – and have always made sure she knows her worth

Her faith in God helps keep her grounded. “I struggle sometimes with what happened to me and then I remember what God has given to me. I keep a prayer journal now – I keep track of what I’m praying for and what He has given me, and He continues to show me the blessings in my life.”

If you’d like to help give hope to more children like Carly, help us help the next 20 children in 2020 by making a one-time gift or becoming a monthly donor. Click here to learn more.