Oklahoma City, Oklahoma – July 1, 2024
Oklahoma faces a critical child welfare crisis, with nearly 400 children in the foster system waiting for loving adoptive homes. A group of Oklahoma faith-based organizations believe they have a unique opportunity to address this challenge – a new movie hitting theaters this week.
Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot is a powerful true story based on a small church in East Texas. Facing a similar situation, 22 families within the church community opened their hearts and homes, adopting a remarkable 77 children from the foster system. This film serves as an inspiration for Oklahoma’s faith-based network, boasting over 6,000 churches, to replicate this act of compassion.
“Every year, children enter the foster care system through no fault of their own,” says Chris Campbell, Executive Director of 111Project, “and despite amazing progress, our communities still lack enough readily available foster and adoptive families to ensure all these children receive the support they deserve.
“With over 6,200 churches and millions of people of faith in Oklahoma, imagine the impact if each church recruited and supported just one family to welcome one child. This collaborative effort could significantly reduce the number of children waiting in foster care, a number currently below 6,000.”
111Project and their collaborative partners believe Sound of Hope can be a catalyst for recruitment efforts, encouraging families to consider adoption and foster care. They plan to leverage the film’s release with outreach programs and informational sessions to highlight the needs of children in foster care and the joys of adoption.
Everyone can play a role in ensuring these children and their families in crisis receive the support they need. Each partner organization has ways to engage. Specific opportunities are listed on the 111Project website, and attending Sound of Hope is a first step towards sending a clear message to Oklahoma’s children: you matter, and we won’t leave you waiting for a family any longer.
Movies like Sound of Hope, hitting theaters nationwide on July 4th, matter because children matter. This Independence Day, be inspired to make a real difference by considering adoption or foster care. Visit www.111Project.org/possumtrot to learn more.
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