VALLEY FORGE, PA (ABNS)- For over 127 years, Baptist Children's Services (BCS) has been meeting the needs of at-risk area children who are either homeless or in danger of becomming so. With five group homes and 2 emergency shelters in southeastern Pennsylvania, BCS offers safe environments for youth to live and grow. More than just housing though, BCS instills responsibility, accountability, and morals in the youth they serve through guidance and love.
In May, BCS held its Celebration of Benevolence Breakfast where the organization recognized both student scholarship winners and the organizations that contribute financially to make services possible. Five residents were honored for graduating high school this year and moving on to independant living. For many children faced with homelessness, simply finishing school can be a daunting task. However, these young people, with the help of BCS, have shrugged off that potentially life-breaking obstacle and will soon be pursuing futures in information technology, the culinary arts, and pharmaceuticals. Rev. Dr. William E. Flood, BCS Executive Director, reminded those at the event, "Everything we do is about children!"
As keynote speaker at the event, Rev. Dr. A. Roy Medley, Executive Director of American Baptist Churches USA (ABCUSA), said, "We have a vested interest in the well being of every child" and that, as Christians, we have a responsibilty to act on the notion that, "Every child, is my child."
Partnering with BCS is National Ministries' Children In Poverty program which grew out of the 2005 Biennial Declaration of Importance for American Baptists on the Issue of Children in Poverty. It states: "American Baptists believe that God has called us to minister in love to children. We have shown it in our mission through the decades. Today, if we still believe that, then we must also speak urgently in advocacy for children and their families."
BCS was founded in 1879 by the act of a single child who, upon hearing in her Sunday School class about the plight of orphans, gave all she had, ninety cents, to help them. Over one hundred years later, BCS is still helping children.
On June 1st, BCS will move its administrative offices to the ABC Mission Center in Valley Forge, PA.
Andrew C. Jayne American Baptist Churches, USA Mission Resource Development http://www.abc-usa.org/