Fostering Grace

Ministry Founder Works To Encourage, Support Local Foster Families

Teresa Holmes has seen the tremendous need for foster parents in Geneva County.

“I have always had a heart for foster care, foster kids, because of my work with the school system,” Holmes says. “A lot of the kids that we were working with were in foster care, and so that’s really kind of what opened my eyes to how much these kids need. There’s definitely a shortage of foster families in Geneva County.”

Holmes, who contracts to provide mental health services for Geneva County Schools, says the needs of foster children and foster families are too vast for 1 group or 1 agency to fulfill.

In 2021, she started a ministry to support foster families, Grace Loves, located at Place of Grace Church in Slocomb. The ministry provides items that can be particularly expensive, such as diapers and training pants, baby wipes, and laundry detergent. But the ministry also provides food for foster families and works with other local churches to secure clothing.

Her efforts led Holmes to be recognized as 1 of this year’s Silent Heroes of the Wiregrass. A partnership between Wiregrass Electric Cooperative and WTVY, Silent Heroes of the Wiregrass honors the unsung heroes who make a difference in their communities and the lives of others.

Not wanting to duplicate the efforts of other local groups, Holmes says Grace Loves provides help closer to home so foster parents don’t have to drive to Dothan.

“We service probably around 20 to 21 families a month that come through here, and that’s probably 45 to 48 kids that are getting some supplies,” she says.

Through the ministry, Holmes realized many of the foster children had never been to church. She hopes Grace Loves can help the church be a positive influence in the lives of foster children and expose them to the idea of churches helping communities.

Holmes worked with other churches to start the Geneva County Family Advocacy ministry — an effort to promote awareness about the need for more foster parents. The group hosts activities and helps establish care teams to further encourage and support foster parents.

At Christmas, the family advocacy ministry gave out blessing boxes filled with different holiday food items as well as gift cards so foster families can enjoy fun activities together.

“The money that they get for being foster families just covers basic needs of those kids,” Holmes says. “Their budgets don’t usually allow for them to do fun activities.”