Mother’s Day Offering to
Help Meet the Needs of Hurting Children

LAKELAND, Fla. -- Mother’s Day is the day we honor mothers, but it is also the day for the annual Mother’s Day Offering to benefit the Florida Baptist Children’s Homes. The Children’s Homes has set a goal of $1.4 million for this year’s offering, which provides support for all of their programs and services to abused, neglected, and orphaned children.

Last year the Children’s Homes provided Christ-centered services to more than 5,100 children and families. The Mother’s Day Offering provides critical support needed to provide food, clothing, housing, transportation, medical care, counseling, and other professional services for the children in their care.

The Children’s Homes has residential care facilities, commonly called campuses in Fort Myers, Jacksonville, Lakeland, Miami, Pensacola, and Tallahassee. They also have social work offices in Bradenton, Gainesville, Orlando, Milton, Plantation, and Panama City.

In addition to residential care services they also provide emergency shelter care, adult developmental services, foster care, adoption care services, and the Sanctity of Human Life program, which helps women experiencing an unplanned pregnancy make a life-affirming decision. In addition they also provide childcare services to select international locations in the developing world.

Dr. Jerry Haag, president of the Children’s Homes said that this year’s offering is critically important. “These are difficult economic times and children end up suffering the most, especially when family situations are already volatile.”

“Many of the children that come into our care are victims of tragic circumstances. Fortunately because of generous giving through the Mother’s Day Offering we are able to shelter these precious children in the loving arms of Christian childcare workers. Our staff not only work to meet the physical needs of the children, but they also minister to their emotional and spiritual needs,” Haag said. 

“The times have certainly changed from when the Children’s Homes was first founded in 1904, but the need to care for abused, neglected, and orphaned children has not. God still uses his people to care for others. And the Mother’s Day Offering is one way that Florida Baptists help care for precious children that do not have a mother or father able to care for them.”

The Florida Baptist Children’s Homes is an agency of the Florida Baptist Convention, which established the Children’s Homes in 1904. They are governed by a 24-member board of trustees who are elected by the convention to serve a three-year term on a rotating basis. The Children’s Homes is accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Services for Families and Children. More information can be found on their website at www.FBCHomes.org or by calling 863-687-8811.

-##-