Area foster families to be honored at Olive Crest’s appreciation event

Array

May 5, 2009 11:58 am
Olive Crest and 'The One Factor' author Doug Sauder will honors area foster families at a May 14 luncheon.
Olive Crest and 'The One Factor' author Doug Sauder will honors area foster families at a May 14 luncheon.

Olive Crest Homes and Services for Abused Children will host a celebratory luncheon May 14, honoring area foster families and featuring an inspirational talk by foster and adoption expert Doug Sauder, author of “The One Factor.”

The Power of One Luncheon will be held from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at the Truitt Building, 102 W. Main St., Auburn.

Tickets are $20 each, or $160 for a table of eight, and may be purchased by phoning Olive Crest at 425-462-1612, ext. 1312, or on-line at www.olivecrest.org/site/Calendar?view=Detail&id=109181.

The special event marks National Foster Parent Appreciation Month.

Sauder, following the biblical mandate in the book of James (“Look after orphans and widows in their distress”), is leading a national movement within the faith community to care for foster children in the United States. In his book, “The One Factor — How One Changes Everything”, Sauder uses gripping and often poignant illustrations drawn from his past 10 years of foster care ministry to demonstrate the untapped potential of the power of one.

Sauder will speak from experience to his Puget Sound audience. He is a former public school teacher, a youth pastor, coach and foster and adoptive parent himself.

“In the spirit of Foster Parent Appreciation month, Doug Sauder will honor the foster parents in this region who fill their role with enthusiasm and compassion. He is truly a kindred spirit to Olive Crest, as we are both committed to finding safe, happy, healthy homes for the children who need them,” said Kevin Hunter, Olive Crest executive director. “We know his message will be uplifting; we hope it will also inspire new people to step forward and become foster parents.”

“I look forward to celebrating with the foster parents in Washington who have already embraced the concept of the ‘one factor’ by changing the lives of at-risk children,” Sauder added. “And I’m excited to explore the essential elements of the concept with others in the area, so they can see how one person can inspire another who inspires others, turning addition into exponential power.”

Olive Crest will demonstrate the tremendous rewards of foster parenting with first-hand stories from the foster parents being honored at the fundraising luncheon. The families who will be honored are residents of Auburn, Kent and Federal Way. An opportunity to participate in Kids at Heart, a monthly giving program sponsored by Olive Crest, will also be presented at the luncheon.

For more information on Kids at Heart, visit www.olivecrest.org.

Fostering Together is a collaborative program between the State of Washington and Olive Crest Foster Family Agency, a national leader in therapeutic focused services for children in the foster care. Dedicated to finding prospective foster homes within Washington State, Fostering Together provides support and information for potential foster parents and assists them through the licensing process. Fostering Together offers on-going support to caregivers through support groups, liaison services and genuine encouragement.