I need your help to make our 4th annual Bells of Hope weekend of prayer successful.  What I ask is simple. If you are a member of a faith community (or are comfortable contacting a local faith community) would you please forward this email to the faith community with a note from you asking them to become a partner with us in prayer for all children waiting for adoptive homes in Connecticut?

Bells of Hope is one of Connecticut's statewide National Adoption Month initiatives. It is a weekend where faith communities partner with the Child Welfare System by raising their voices in prayer and ringing bells, when available, for all the Connecticut children waiting for permanent homes. We are asking faith communities to offer prayers anytime they hold services during the weekend of November 2-4th and ring their bells (if they have bells) on November 4 at 6p.m.  

Bells are to ring one time for each Connecticut child in need of a permanent home.  Last year that number was 28. This year the number will be announced on our website by October 26.  In the past three years this event has grown to include over 160 faith communities throughout the state.  Any part or combination of prayer and bell-ringing on behalf of the children is truly appreciated.

Why should your community support this effort? Nationally, there are over 104,000 children in the foster care system awaiting a family. Some of these children will never be adopted and will "age out".  Of those who age out, approximately 50 percent of them eventually experience homelessness or become incarcerated. Most will never finish high school and many of the girls will end up becoming single mothers, repeating the cycle of poverty, abuse and addiction that brought them into care.

I am an adoptive mom of three boys.  One of my sons has a brother, Justin*, who was never adopted and later became homeless.  Because of him and because of the other 28,000 youth who age out of the national foster care system every year I feel called to help children find permanent homes.   

I believe each time a family provides a permanent home for a waiting child or youth, they answer our Creator's call to them and help alleviate the number of children in need of loving permanent families.  

Please prayerfully consider partnering with us and your congregation's adoptive families in this event. Additional information is available on our website and by email or phone (203.706.0101).