Joy Community Church

Mother of 3 young children (2 with special needs) was recently able to clean up her house, get beds, and get car seats so that she could receive her kids back. We're proud of all she's accomplished! One thing that she still needs is to have a new back door installed. The door is broken beyond repair, is not secure, and the glass is about to fall out. It's a double French door (only one door opens). The cost for the door assembly is approximately $650 and the installation will run about $600-$750. (If someone in your church does home improvement work, perhaps they can install the door.) With a $40 deposit, they will measure everything, check for wood rot, and be able to give a firm cost. Your involvement with this project will help provide safety and security for this single mom and her family.

We have a resilient and remarkable young woman who is preparing to begin her college journey this fall. At just 18, she’s already demonstrated incredible independence, strength, and determination. She’s been working since the age of 15 and saved enough to buy her first car—an amazing achievement that speaks volumes about her work ethic and drive.

She currently resides in a kinship placement that does not receive a stipend, yet she continues to thrive. She’s a natural leader, a fierce advocate for herself, and has a hilarious side—she’s known for playing practical jokes that keep everyone laughing. Her deep love for her family, sisters, and culture grounds her, and her compassion for others shines through in everything she does.

Despite carrying the weight of many responsibilities, she remains caring, funny, and focused on her future. We want to send her off to college with the support she deserves and a reminder of how proud we all are of her.

She could use some help gathering college essentials, such as: • School supplies (notebooks, pens (gel pens), highlighters, paper, binders, scientific calculator) • A nice backpack • Purple-themed items (her favorite color!) • Basic clothing (size med in shirts, size 8 in bottoms) • A laptop and wireless moust that fits into a backpack (if possible)

Thank you!

A single mother of 3 children, 1 with special needs, is needing her car to be registered so that she can get to work, take the children to school when they miss the bus, and get to appointments, the grocery store, etc. Currently, a friend is taking her to work and she's having to use Uber to get around. In order to pass vehicle inspection, the driver's side window needs to be replaced. She also needs to have the vehicle taken in for emissions and safety inspections. The work will be scheduled on mom's days off, but she doesn't have funds to pay for the inspections or the window. Once these are completed, she can register the car. (Those additional expenses are unknown, so they're not included in this request.) Would you be willing to help remove these barriers so that she can get back on the road?

A 13-year-old daughter of a single mom has been going through rough times. She's begun dabbling in drugs and her grades have gone down. Her self-esteem and self-worth are low. Mom has had her in therapy and counseling for several months, and mom has been going through counseling as well to be a more effective parent. At a recent meeting with the family and her team of supports, it was evident that strong supports are in place and that mom is doing all that she can. However, the daughter continues to make poor choices. There is a glimmer of hope, though. The daughter is very interested in being on the cheerleading team for next year and understands that she must be clean of drugs and keep up her grades. The only hurdle is that mom doesn't have the funds for the program ($350, including uniforms), which are due the end of this month. The team of supports agrees that the cheerleading team would be great for the daughter, and they will continue to work with the daughter to help her stay clean and keep her grades up. The confidence and team spirit that cheerleading would bring to the daughter would greatly raise her self-esteem and teach her the importance and value of discipline and hard work. Would you be willing to make the difference for this precious 13-year-old and her mom?

Hello,

I am working with a family who is trying to create the best future for their son, CB. CB is a teenage boy that has a lot of mental health and behavioral issues. CB has been doing very well with FCS and IIS in the home working with him and the parents have been extremely amenable to services to help them do that.

Unfortunately, at this time, it is best for the safety and wellbeing of CB that he be in a residential facility. His stay at residential has been covered through insurance but the family needs help with travel expenses. CB will be taken to residential out in California with his Pastor. One-way tickets are $100 and round trip are $200. Any financial assistance whether it is both CB and Pastor or just the child is greatly appreciated!

I have a family in need of a heat lice treatment. There are 5 children in need of this treatment. This family has been struggling to get rid of lice with just over the counter lice treatment. I think the family is to the point of needed a heat treatment at the possible Lice Busters' facility in Webster Grove.

Hello Team!

I have a wonderful family that has agreed to take in their Great Niece as a kinship placement. The family has some financial struggles but are doing the best they can to meet their needs. Grandma reported she can no longer drive and its a struggle to get everyone's clothes washed. Everyone includes my teen kiddo and 3 grandkids under 8. They need an electric washer and dryer. This would help grandma save money by not having to call an uber to go to the laundromat every week. Grandma said it does not have to be brand new as long as it works.

Thank you in advance!!

A request is being made in effort to help aide in reunification between biological parents and their son who is in foster care. The parents are working towards reunification with their son and are approved to have full weekend visits. The child is under the Franklin County jurisdiction and is residing in this county with a relative foster parent. The parents are residing about 2 hr. 18 min (142 miles) out of Franklin County. The parents chose to move out of the county due to unhealthy family relationships in this area and a job opportunity for the father. Parents have been able to have weekend visits at least once a month with their son, but the Family Support Team is requesting that they have visits each weekend since we transition him home. An increase in visitation is needed to help with the transition for the child. The parents face financial strains that limit their ability to make it to Franklin County each weekend to get their son. They express a desire to have their son back with them but are faced with financial burdens to make it happen each weekend.

The request of gas cards to help provide some financial relief for the family and allow a child and his parents to spend more frequent time together.

The plan is for the child to be placed on Trial Home Placement with his parents once school ends and summer break begins. Once this happens the parents will no longer need to drive to and from Franklin County on a weekly basis.

We have a mom who is a survivor of domestic violence and has recently become a single mom of four that is needing some assistance. Her four boys will be returning home with her soon and she has worked tirelessly to fix up the house and repair what her abuser has damaged but still needs help with some of the work. The mother has patched the holes in the wall that her ex partner left but could use help purchasing the paint to cover them before the boys come home. She could also use help repair the outside AC unit that he has destroyed as well as a dumpster to get rid of the trash from all of the other repairs she has completed.