Helping our Neighbor Organization

By Doris Robbins, member

In 1917 Methodist Child Care was founded to care for children orphaned after an epidemic of influenza hit the city of Detroit leaving many children without relatives or friends to take care of them. Anna Kresge and Sophie Sprague had a mission and heart to care for children with no family or children who were receiving inadequate care in their homes. A small house was purchased to care for 10 children and in 1922 a larger house was built on farm in what is today's downtown Farmington. Francis Knight was appointed as the first director. In 1926 the name was officially changed to Methodist Children's Home Society.

MCHS continued to grow and serve the children in need in the area, providing a safe-haven to children who come every year in search of hope, love, and a family. In the 1990's MCHS decided to change from a co-ed campus to an all boys campus. The mission of MCHS is to provide individual treatment, care, advocacy, and permanency to children and families impacted by childhood trauma. Each day MCHS continues to build a community where kids have a brighter and safer future. This information was taken from the MCHS website. Visit it to find out more about how this organization supports families.

I was aware of MCHS but did not know in detail what it was all about until I joined the Thrivent Community Board. Raeann Kusch and Rick Hart, a Christ Our Savior member, have been supporting MCHS for a number of years. And with generous donations from Christ Our Savior over the past years, we have been able to help MCHS in numerous ways.

We have supported them through fun events like Trunk or Treat for Halloween, pizza parties, providing comforters and rugs for their own beds, summer swim bags, and even renovating the foster care and adoptive room where the kids and hopefully foster and adoptive parents meet to begin building their relationships.

Helping the kids resonates with me as Jim and I fostered two boys starting in 1983 and to this day we have kept in contact with them. I am happy to say that they are both mature productive young men. Having a positive impact on kids will get you the same in return. And better than that helping the kids is what we do to let Christ's love shine through us!

We are making 70 hygiene bags to distribute to the children. We plan to fill the bags and deliver them by June 19th. Any donations can be dropped off at the Thrivent office, 19045 Farmington Rd. Livonia, MI 48152, Monday through Friday, 10am-4pm or you may shop on-line and have it sent to the Thrivent office.

There are 70 boys ranging in age from 5-18 years old.