The Forgotten Initiative (TFI) mobilizes and equips the Body of Christ to make a difference in the lives of agency workers, foster parents, vulnerable adults and children through service projects, mentoring and family support initiatives.

TFI serves and resources advocates and churches, helping them build on-going, long term relationships with their local foster care agencies to:
   LEARN THE NEEDS of the foster care community
   SHARE THE NEEDS with the Body of Christ
   EQUIP the Body to meet the needs.

Children often come into foster care with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Journey Bags are backpacks willed with personal and comfort items for children to call their own, to look through and hold on to during what can be a very anxious ride to a home and family they have never met. The goal of Journey Bags is to bless these kids with the feeling they are loved, prayed for and remembered.

For more information or to find out how you can help with this ministry, or for information about becoming a foster parent, contact Becky Smits on TFI Knoxville Facebook page.

In September we collected items for CASE WORKER CAR KITS. The case workers often spend hours transporting children to and from visits, doctor appointments, etc. The car kit helps hours go by a little faster for the kids in their car.

TFI Case Worker Car Kit Delivery October 2015– Image 1 of 6

Thank you note from Becky Smits:
"We were able to fill all 22 kits! We gave 3 to Child Protective Services, 1 to the Office of Child Safety, and 2 kits each to the 8 foster care teams. We were able to send a DVD player for long trips. We even have boxes for refills!   The staff was THRILLED to receive these. They were all telling stories about cases and recent trips and future trips that these would be a blessing for. For CPS, so many times these kids are being removed from everything they know, riding with a stranger, hungry and scared. These kits will fill bellies, and provide an ice breaker so workers can understand these kids, and work with them to find a safe plan for them."

These items are always in need, so please feel free to provide them any time during the year (contact Becky Smits):
Large tote bags
Reusable shopping bags
Road trip items: such as...
Coloring books/crayons
Sticker booksSpiral Notebooks
Car gamesHand held games
Silly puttyStory books
Magna doodles
Children’s music - CD’s
DVD players (include battery if necessary)
Kid-friendly DVD’s
Non-perishable single-serve snacks, such as...
Peanut Butter crackers
Capri Sun drinks
Fruit Snacks
Goldfish.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A ministry that brings joy and purpose to the foster care community.

How You Can Help: throughout the month of September, we will be providing items for "Case Worker Car Kits." Please click here for list of items needed. Please bring items throughout the month to the TFI table in the south hallway. Other ways to serve: stock shelves in donations closet, paint murals, make baby blankets, donate supplies for care bags that go to fostering parents, foster a child.