Friends of Children of

North Central Florida

The Friends of Children of North Central Florida is a partner with the Florida Baptist Children's Homes and churches throughout the state of Florida.

Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the

kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." Matthew 19:14, NIV

The project located near Gainesville in La Crosse reached several milestones in 2008. Our first was to successfully rezone the once-agricultural property to a zoning acceptable for a foster care campus. Many of our supporters joined us at the Alachua County Commission meeting while hunderds of others wrote letters and emails to encourage our elected officials to pass the needed zoning.

The 3rd Annual Yerman 5K Run and Walk presented by Chick-fil-A raised over $58,000 and involved over 450 runners, walkers, and volunteers. Thanks to our many sponsors including Bestwestern, The Trophy Shop, Campus USA Credit Union, The Osteen Brothers, Inc., Trippensee Opticians, R&R Construction, Rickman Partnership, Tioga Dental, James Moore and Company, TradePMR, and many more for making this event a success!

Thanks to an offer of a generous $30,000 matching gift, our supporters more than met the challenge and in the last six weeks of the year Friends of Children recieived $96,000! The property title was transferred from Bill and Gaye Cellon to the Florida Baptist Children's Homes in December.

2009 holds great promise with our annual spring auction and the 2009 Yerman 5K Run and Walk on Sept. 26. Friends of Children would welcome an opportunity to share our ministry with your church family this year. Please contact us to schedule a presenter or speaker.

Friends of Children, NCF, Inc., ended 2008 with the following:
• Total endowment funds held by Florida Baptist Children's Homes: $1,335,763.36 ($1.4 million needed to complete trust fund)
• 2008 social worker expenses including office, salary, and costs of placing foster/adopted children: $66,820.00
• Restricted for construction of cottage(s): $100,462.50
• Friends of Children ending bank balance: $121,795.00

For more information on how you can help Friends of Children NCF, Inc., reach our goal of a Florida Baptist Children's Homes campus in north central Florida, contact Bev Carroll, 352-262-1391, BCarroll011@aol.com, P.O. Box 358502, Gainesville, FL 32635-8502. We are accepting donations and seeking volunteers and church representatives. We can also help with estate planning and stock gifts.

May your family and loved ones know the Peace and Love of God throughout this new year.

Sincerely,
Bev Carroll, President,
Friends of Children of North Central Florida, Inc.

What are the children like on FBCH campuses?

They're "normal" children but with parents who are unable to care for them temporarily for a variety of reasons. The goal of the FBCH is to reunite parents and their children within two years if it is deemed best for the child, a goal that the Homes usually meets or exceeds. The Homes provides counseling and other assistance for parents to help them prepare for welcoming their children home. The Homes provides children with all basic necessities, a safe place and exposure to the Gospel—an invaluable service to these children for all eternity! Most of the children served by the Florida Baptist Children's Homes come to know the Lord as a result of faithful service of child care workers and foster parents and through exposure to churches who help us in sharing the gospel with these children. Join us as we seek to pray and support the Homes and as we grow in Gainesville and the surrounding areas!

Volunteers needed

Olivia Baird, the local social worker for the FBCH, needs volunteers for assistance in office management and clerical work at flexible times throughout the week. While the hours would be set by your schedule during the week, applicants should be familiar with Microsoft Word, able to navigate the Internet easily, and be comfortable operating in email. Applicants should be comfortable with basic office tasks such as filing, phone service and correspondence. All volunteers are asked to complete background checks and various confidentiality requirements. Please call the office at 352-377-2517.

What happens to a contribution I make to the
Friends of Children of North Central Florida?

All gifts given to the FOCNCF for the future campus will be sent to the FBCH for safekeeping. Some individuals and churches have contributed to the FOCNCF's administrative expenses, providing funds for promotion of events and other related expenses. We welcome either type of gift.

Thank you for your gifts, prayers, and other support.