LOVE LIKE JESUS

“Let no one look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in your speech, conduct, love, faithfulness, and purity.” 1 Timothy 4:12

Two young girls in Wynne, AR, McKinley and Maggie, learned about a need and decided to meet it. This past summer, they attended VBS and heard Connected Foster Care share about children in foster care. The girls wanted to host a snack drive, but not just any snack drive. They wanted to involve the whole community to provide staple items for local foster families. The girls took to social media to get the word out. Within the first 24 hours, they were able to fill two shopping carts full of items most needed by Connected foster families.

The funds didn’t stop coming in and the girls have far surpassed their VBS $200 snack drive goal. When local news got word of their efforts, they interviewed the girls. In an impromptu moment, the girls made a challenge to raise $100,000 to give to Connected Foster Care by Christmas. “What if God is using them? Why should my doubt limit this? Who am I to tell her it’s impossible?” asks Jen, the mother of one of the girls, who confidently believes it can happen, “I started putting numbers to paper and it’s totally possible. It’s 2,000 friends sharing $50.” When asked in an interview if they thought they would reach this Christmas goal – without any hesitancy, both girls confidently stated, “Yes,” and agreed God could move in a mighty way to make it happen.

Instead of simply purchasing pantry items for foster families, McKinley and Maggie shared a new idea along with their Christmas goal. They want to personally take the families and kids shopping with the money they raise to pick out clothes, toys, snacks, and other items to make their Christmases special. “We have a lot of stuff and they don’t, and we wanted to give them a lift up,” stated McKinley. She and her friend Maggie have been making social media videos to spread the word and inspire others to give. Their most recent efforts have provided all the ingredients for 3 Thanksgiving side dishes and a turkey for foster families.

McKinley, Maggie, and their moms Jen, and Meredith are passionate about foster care and want to make a difference. That passion not only fueled their spirit of generosity and the inspiration to take action. The girls are an example to their community that everyone can do something. They have inspired the spirit of giving, including a $3700 donation from a local business and a raffle with proceeds benefitting Connected families from another local business. What started as a simple VBS challenge has resulted in the girls launching their own ministry called Love Like Jesus.

“There are so many needs and there are a lot of parts to play. Always remember no matter your size, age, or spending ability, we can all play a part in helping our local foster kids,” states Jen, “These girls want to do big things, they don’t even understand fully how big of a deal this is.”

If you want to support Connected Foster Care by giving to McKinley and Maggie’s Christmas goal, you can send funds to Jen’s Cashapp or send money to the address below.

Cashapp: $lovelikejesus21
Mailing Address: P.O Box 1204 Wynne, AR 72396