Spirit of the Family
The Spirit of the Family group is a component of the Spiritual program for children who may not have adequate family support. This program provides a spiritual family through other children, staff members, and community members. Children in this group are usually unable to have home visits with their families and some may have never experienced positive family situations. Spirit of the Family assists children in learning and practicing concepts found in a positive family setting. This allows them to identify and improve skills they will need in their future families, both biological and spiritual. Children are encouraged to explore their thoughts on the meaning of “family” and how they can use their experiences and new skills to form their own support system. Children who participate in the Spirit of the Family are encouraged to model appropriate behaviors, care for their new family members, and to have fun.
Some of the Spirit of the Family Activities include:
- Planning and preparing cookouts
- Scrapbooking
- Community activities
- Community service projects
- Creating quilts for the local nursing home
- Playtime: this may sound very simple, but many of the children in this group have never experienced the opportunity to act their age and just play
You can often find this group playing board games or group sports or just “hanging out” and talking with one another. Spirit of the Family also enjoys participating in Relay for Life to benefit cancer survivors, as well as sending holiday cards to the soldiers overseas, local firemen, police and folks in nursing homes.