Volunteers can change the world, one family, one community at a time. I see this every day through Better Together, but I also see it in my children when we host a child. With four children under the age of 7 and two demanding careers, my husband and I have a million reasons to say no. Taking in a child is never convenient. It makes no sense. It’s often messy. But it’s really rewarding, not just for Mason and me but for our kids, too.
Here’s why we continue to host as a family:
- We serve as an entire family. There aren’t many volunteer opportunities for families with very young children, but this is something we can do with every member of our family. We all prepare when the kids come to our home. We recently took in a teenager, and every morning, my kids would sit by the door waiting for her to wake up. They were so excited to serve her and have her in our lives.
- Hosting teaches children compassion and empathy. Some of the children we’ve hosted haven’t had a good meal in a long time. Some don’t have a mom or a dad in their lives. They often don’t have stability. Or even a home to call their own. Hosting helps my children see other experiences and love others where they are. It’s like bringing the mission field to our dining room table.
- Hosting allows us to extend love and have impact. I just love the parents. I love being able to give hope to people. I can’t imagine being alone, especially now, as a parent, because parenting is hard, even in the best of times. To be able to be that someone who is going to answer the phone and to be able to give the gift of time for these parents, to love them and encourage them, fills my heart. You get to meet a really big need of a family. There are so many people who don’t have supportive friends or family. Just being a voice on the other end of the phone makes a difference, to be able to just listen to them and pray for them and encourage them.
Every time we’ve taken in a child, we’ve had a million reasons to say no. It’s never convenient. It’s always messy. But that’s where growth sets in. It grows us. It stretches us. It grows our capacity as a family, our capacity to love. The value of that is priceless.
With Hope and Gratitude,
Megan Rose
CEO of Better Together
Posted August 31, 2022
