Pieces of a Dream

On January 16, a celebration was held honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day at Medina United Methodist Church. The event was well attended with a mix of community leaders, religious leaders, and residents of Medina. The speaker for the evening was Bishop Kenneth Paramore of Christ Centered Church in Youngstown and Akron. The theme for the program was “Pieces of a Dream." Bishop Paramore’s words resonated with so many in the audience. He talked about the King holiday not being just a “Black holiday” but an American holiday. It should not be viewed as just another day off, but we should take the time to think about what we can do better as a society and respond to the ideals that Dr. King hoped we could achieve. Bishop Paramor challenged us to continue to think about the dream of Dr. King, and to think about the legacy of its meaning. Each milestone we achieve as a society gets us closer to realizing the fulfillment of the dream. We all have a part to play, a piece to add, for a more promising life for all.

I thought about our foster care program and wondered, “What can we do better; what is our piece in this dream?” As we recruit new foster families, it is important to remind them that this journey is about providing children with the experiences that we sometimes take for granted. Foster families can provide them with stability. Children deserve a family that cares for them, loves them, and gives them the support they need until they can return home.

Bishop Paramore concluded by talking about churches sometimes having many members but few laborers. In comparison, we cannot just recruit more families, but they must be families who want to take on the challenge of being temporary parents for children who need a home. We must continue to add “pieces” to our foster parent group to fulfill our promise to Medina County children. If you want to help us keep our promise, please consider opening your home to fostering. A child’s piece of the dream can begin with you.

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